


Button

by kyutebaekyeol (baek_yeollie)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Break Up, Fluff, Getting Back Together, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance, SlightAngst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-06-28 01:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15697026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baek_yeollie/pseuds/kyutebaekyeol
Summary: Byun Baekhyun, an enthusiastic fashion student left everything behind just to achieve his dream, including breaking up with Park Chanyeol, his sweet first love, his lover......his dear Loey;





	1. Definitely not you

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading^^  
> story beta-read by the amazing Minussi n Hani from @exobetapod :)

 

 

“Button…I miss you.”

 

 

Baekhyun squeaked when he was pulled into a gentle back hug by a pair of familiar firm arms that locked around his waist. He was inside his bedroom, busy packing his things into the small boxes that were messily scattered all over the floor. A soft whimper escaped from his lips when the taller’s lips started to roam all over his exposed neck and shoulder, peppering him with endless kisses. He smiled when the taller’s deep voice muffled against his hair, complimenting how his body smelled so good every time he was in his warm embrace. The compliment made Baekhyun blush. He couldn’t help but to squirm as his body was very ticklish. He was still in a dazed state when the strong pair of arms slowly released him from his embrace. Chanyeol finally noticed all the boxes in his room.

 

 

“What is all of this? Where are you going, Button?”

 

 

 _This is it_. Baekhyun exhaled.

 

 

Chanyeol’s panicked voice made his heart thump like crazy inside his ribcage. “Loey, we need to talk.”

 

 

Chanyeol was so happy as he already ended work early as a part-time model in an online clothes shop and he had a free afternoon. After buying Baekhyun’s favorite coffee at the coffee shop beside his workplace, he skipped to Baekhyun’s house to meet his boyfriend that he missed so dearly ever since the start of the day. He wanted to give him a nice surprise.

 

 

He pulled Baekhyun into a back hug, sniffling his lover’s scent that he loved so much. Byun Baekhyun smelled like baby powder. The scent that followed him everywhere since he was always around his 1-year-old twin baby nephew and niece, Baekho and Baekhee. Mrs. Byun helped to take care of the twins when their parents went to work. Chanyeol always teased Baekhyun for smelling like a baby but actually, he loved his baby powder scented boyfriend.

 

 

He could sense that Baekhyun’s attitude was different this afternoon, his lover was not behaving like himself. The usual Baekhyun would greet him like an eager puppy that was missing his owner. There was no jumping or wet smooches plastered on his face or lips. Baekhyun looked so lost in his own thoughts. He frowned when he saw a few of the opened boxes on the floor with Baekhyun’s things inside it.

 

 

“Let’s break up,” Baekhyun said while averting his gaze from Chanyeol’s eyes. He needed to be strong to get through this. He wouldn’t let anything stop him from achieving his dream, even when he had to sacrifice Park Chanyeol, his lover, his Loey.

 

 

“W-what?” Chanyeol stuttered. He knew that he was not dreaming because he secretly pinched his own arm. It hurt when the nails pierced through his flesh but the simple three words that just came out from his lover’s mouth made him feel like he was being run down by a bullet train. His heart was shattered into small pieces.

 

 

“Why, Button?” he asked while holding on Baekhyun’s elbows and leaned down to press their forehead together.

 

 

 _‘Please don’t call me button, don’t look at me with your pleading eyes,’_  Baekhyun puffed his cheeks and struggled to pull away from Chanyeol’s strong grip on his elbows. He gasped when Chanyeol’s hands moved to the side of his waist, holding him close to stop him from moving away. His lover's firm grip of hands made him hiss in pain.

 

 

“I’m going to further my studies in New York,” Baekhyun muttered.

 

 

“B-but…we already talked about this, right? About our future together? We decided to enter the same university here and study together, what happened?” Chanyeol was so dumbfounded that Baekhyun could easily push him aside and go with his own plan. They were best friend since the age of 13. Chanyeol knew that he was head over heels for his own best friend at the age of 16 when he started to feel goosebumps every time Baekhyun pulled him into his hug when he was being too happy.

 

 

After a year of hiding his true feelings, he stole Baekhyun’s first kiss when both of them were staring at the night sky on the rooftop of Chanyeol’s house, waiting for the meteor shower that was predicted to happen on Baekhyun’s 16th birthday. He was so happy when Baekhyun kissed him back. They were lovers for almost 2 years and already planned their future together. He was going to study business management and took over his father’s car company while Baekhyun wanted to learn about fashion and open his own clothing brand. He never heard Baekhyun talk about studying abroad before.

 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m not your Button anymore.”

 

 

\---

 

 

Three years later

 

 

“He what?” Baekhyun yelped with bulging eyes. He was in the sewing studio with his friends, busy finishing their thesis collections and Kris just had to make his day harder by telling him the bad news. His model Sehun, a photography student who always helped him to be his fitting model, bailed away last minute. His this week’s project due date was on next week and if he didn’t get it done on time, all his project garments would pile up and he might get no time to sleep to finish it all.  

 

 

Baekhyun let out an exaggerating sigh and slumped his body on the stool while hugging the half sewn fabric on his chest. Scrunching his nose, he slowly fixed the big spectacle that slipped from his nose bridge and blankly stared at the mannequin beside him. He was in his last semester of the senior year and he hoped to graduate with flying colors. He wanted to make his parents proud. His father was a successful suit maker, disappointing him was the last thing he wanted to do.

 

 

“Sehun wanted to help his boyfriend instead of you,” Kris smiled and sat on the stool beside Baekhyun.

 

 

“But Sehun already promised me,” Baekhyun whined. He was so happy when Sehun, one of the photography student and a part time model, agreed to help him with his project pieces, he thought that he would hit the jackpot by having Sehun as his model. But he was wrong.  

 

 

“This is a competition Baek, and true love beats you,” Kris snorted while ruffling Baekhyun’s hair.

 

 

“True love my ass, I’m going to kill Sehun and Kai,” Baekhyun groaned. No matter how much he was mad at them right now, they were his friends. Both of them were just madly in love and he knew about love because he had been in one too before.  

 

 

"Don’t worry, your best friend here is going to help you,” Kris smugly smiled and patted his broad chest.

 

 

Baekhyun's eyes twinkled with hope when he heard Kris's remark. Kris was going to help by becoming his model? Kris was a last year photography student who had the perfect looks to be a model but the soon to be professional photographer didn’t like his pictures taken so much. Baekhyun grimaced, almost puked when the taller man said that he was a very shy and reserved person when it involved displaying his body to other people. “You agree to be my model?”

 

 

“No, I’m too busy with my own last year’s gallery project, pumpkin,” Kris grinned. “My boyfriend is going to help you, he’s a part-time model and going to be here for a while as he’s currently enjoying his short vacation in Manhattan,”  

 

 

“Short vacation or honeymoon with you?” Baekhyun snickered and playfully punched Kris’s shoulder.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Pumpkin, meet my boyfriend, Park Chanyeol,” Kris chirped and sat in front of Baekhyun who was so busy cutting some fabric on his work table.

 

 

“P-Park Chanyeol?” Baekhyun stammered. The name made Baekhyun’s heart shrunk from its original size. With a trembling hand, he managed to place the scissor that he used on the table and lifted his head to look at Kris and his boyfriend. His breath hitched when a very familiar face welcomed his sight. The image that he saw, made his mouth felt so dry and he couldn’t even breathe properly. _‘That…that’s not the same Park Chanyeol that he knew right? Loey, is that you?’_   Baekhyun couldn't help but to stare at Kris’s boyfriend that was looking at him with knitted eyebrows.

 

 

“Button,”

 

 

“H-huh?” Baekhyun stuttered, eyes still locked at Kris’s boyfriend that was standing right in front of him. Park Chanyeol looked so cold and unapproachable with his sharp scowling eyes, both hands tucked into his pant pocket, he refused to sit down with them. Baekhyun was so glad that he was sitting because he couldn’t feel his own legs anymore. Meeting his hot looking x boyfriend again made him numb. Loey had become so mature and good looking with his silver hair, wearing an expensive branded white color shirt paired with black ripped jeans.

 

 

 _‘He’s not my Loey,’_  Baekhyun mentally screamed, trying to convince himself that Kris’s boyfriend was not the same person that he loved years ago. He was not his sweet Loey, his personal happy pill that liked to smile and looked like a big puppy every time he was with him. Loey’s hair was curly and messy, he looked so adorable every time his eyes twitched when he laughed and Baekhyun was so sure that Loey wasn’t a fashionista. His x boyfriend used to always wear the baggy hoodie that he wore over and over again until Baekhyun had to hide it away from him.

 

 

“Button…there’s a button, beside your shoe,” Chanyeol said nonchalantly while rolling his eyes.

 

 

“Oh…,” Baekhyun blushed, ashamed for looking so dumb. He quickly picked up the said button and placed it in his sewing box.  _‘You’re not his button anymore, stupid,’_  Chanyeol’s uninterested face that looked so bored while playing with his phone broke his heart. ‘This is not his Loey,’ He instantly knew that over the years, Chanyeol really had moved on from him.  

 

 

“Pumpkin, you look so dazed ogling over my boyfriend. If you keep that up, I’m going to get angry,” Kris snickered while shaking his head. He placed his arm around Chanyeol’s back and pulled his supermodel looking boyfriend closer to his side.

 

 

Baekhyun blinked before pulling away from looking so obviously awestruck over Kris’s boyfriend. If he kept doing it, he would look so pathetic in front of Chanyeol. “I’m sorry, he…he looks like someone I know,”

 

 

“Do you know him, Chan?” Kris asked while lazily rubbing Chanyeol’s waist with his thumb.

 

 

“Nope, never seen him before,” Chanyeol shrugged. “So, how soon can we start to work, I don’t like wasting my time with you.”

 

 

 


	2. Meet Mr. Wilis

 

 

“So, how soon can we start? I don’t like wasting my time with you,”  


 

  
Baekhyun bit his inner cheeks, trying not to get angry at Chanyeol. Chanyeol’s venomous words sipped into his heart, making it throb in pain. Baekhyun fisted his hands and gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to smack Chanyeol’s head using his most precious mannequin and stab his ex boyfriend’s scowling eyes with a scissor.  


 

  
_'Oh how I wish I can do that to you right now,’_ he mentally screamed, glancing at Kris that was currently staring at him with his handsome face. Chanyeol should be glad that he had Kris as his boyfriend as Kris was an angel. ‘I’m evil and I don’t deserve you,’ Baekhyun’s stomach churned when he realized how cruel he treated Loey before.  


 

  
“I don’t like wasting my time too,” Baekhyun scoffed, almost, almost rolled his eyes toward Chanyeol. He didn’t want Kris to feel bad. Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol didn’t tell anything about their past relationship to Kris, judging by the clueless act of Kris toward them. He was determined to take every spat of bitterness that Chanyeol threw at him with a big heart. He needed Park Chanyeol right now. He was wrong and deserved to be treated that way by Chanyeol as he was the one to blame for their breakup, so he had to endure Chanyeol’s cruel words slapping his face without mercy, for now.

 

  
  
“Pumpkin, you should start wasting your time for yourself, don’t push yourself too much,” Kris suggested and scooted closer to grab Baekhyun’s face with his palm. “He’s adorable, right Chan?” Kris grinned while bumping his body on Chanyeol’s side.

 

  
  
Baekhyun’s heart stopped beating when Chanyeol tore his gaze away from his phone screen and lifted his head to look at him. Their eyes met for a brief moment and Baekhyun felt that his soul flew away from his body. ‘Comeback, don’t leave me, soul,’ if not for Kris and his precious final assignment, he wouldn’t let himself butchered by Chanyeol's sharp daggering eyes. Gulping hard his saliva, Baekhyun really thought that his poor heart couldn’t take it anymore; the staring game was so intense that Baekhyun forgot to breathe.  

 

  
  
“Is something wrong with your eyes, Kris?” Chanyeol snorted, totally not agreeing with his boyfriend’s compliment toward Baekhyun. He rolled his eyes and continued playing with his phone again.

 

  
  
_‘Cruel words again,’_ Baekhyun blinked and quickly cast his eyes down to his shoes, fearing that Kris might see his broken-hearted face. He couldn’t help but feel hurt because of Chanyeol’s blunt statement. ‘You’re not my Loey; my sweet Loey is gone, I killed him years ago,’ He forced himself to laugh and whined when Kris kept squeezing his face with his large palms. “Stop it, I’m not cute,”

 

  
  
“Yes you are,” Kris cooed, palms kept on kneading Baekhyun’s cheeks and nose and finally he ruffled his hair. He chuckled when Baekhyun hissed in pain, struggling to fix his crooked spectacle and messy hair. “Can you believe that someone so adorable doesn't have any boyfriend for years! He’s still a virgin,” Kris whispered at Chanyeol and playfully winked at Baekhyun.

 

  
  
“Gosh,” Baekhyun wanted to die that instant, but he was glad that Chanyeol didn’t give any reaction upon hearing that piece of information. _‘You don’t actually care,’_ after minutes of struggling, Baekhyun successfully pulled his face away from the treatment of Kris’s monstrous palms.

 

 

“I-I have a boyfriend,” the words slipped past Baekhyun’s lip with ease.

 

  
  
Kris stopped smiling when he heard Baekhyun’s confession. “Who’s your boyfriend? Is he good to you, Pumpkin? I need to meet him first before he gets his hands on you,” Kris yelped. He raised his hand and balled it into a very intimidating large fist.

 

  
  
Baekhyun shuddered at the sight. He knew that his out of the blue confession would kick Kris’s mother hen mode. Kris was a good friend but sometimes he was too protective that boys and girls tend to stay away from Baekhyun. Kris always said that no one in their college was worthy of tapping Baekhyun's jiggly butt.  _‘My butt is not jiggly,’_

 

  
  
_Baekhyun was in his freshman year when he met Kris. He was enjoying his time alone at a small café near his faculty, busy slurping his strawberry smoothies with hand sketching new ideas for his next garment project inside his sketchbook. His nose scrunched in dissatisfaction when the big spectacle that he wore slowly slipped down on his nose bridge and distracted his concentration. Pouting, he pushed back the spectacle and continued scribbling some notes on the drawing pad. A loud shutter sound startled him and he quickly tilted his head up to look at the source._

  
_“You’re so adorable,” Kris grinned. He kept on capturing Baekhyun’s pictures with his expensive camera, totally Ignoring Baekhyun’s deadly glare toward him._

 

  
  
_“Are you crazy?” Baekhyun snapped. He really thought that the young man that was grinning at him like a creepy mad hatter was so handsome and tall, he was his ideal type, if not for his cuckoo head of course._

 

  
  
_“I’m Kris, first-year photography student_ _._ _I need your help,” Kris smiled and placed his camera on Baekhyun’s table, right on top of Baekhyun’s sketches._

 

  
  
_“W-why would I help you?” Baekhyun scowled. He flinched when Kris tried to fix his crooked spectacle. ‘This man is quite a touchy person,’_  


 

  
_“Please, I can’t afford to fail this week's project. I’m going to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you, for a week,  in return. You're Luhan’s friend, right? I’m in his class too,” Kris pleaded._  


 

  
_Baekhyun remembered about his friend Luhan, a photography student who always whining and complaining how it was so hard to him to find his muse every time they were asked for a specific theme to capture with their camera. “What is your theme for this week?”_  


 

  
_“Adorable puppy,”_  


 

  
_Kris hissed in pain when Baekhyun smacked his face with his drawing pad._

 

  
  
Their first encounter was weird. Baekhyun didn’t know why Kris’s freaky way of knowing him didn't freak him out. They became friend, best buddies for years. Luhan always said that Kris was Baekhyun’s fairy godmother. Kris might look scary with his always angry looking eyebrows; the truth was Kris was a very sensitive giant. He loved cute things and that explained why he was so obsessed with Baekhyun because he happened to fall into that category. When Kris first introduced Chanyeol to him, he couldn't believe it as Park Chanyeol was nowhere near the epitome of cuteness. Maybe Loey had big adorable eyes and cute ears?

 

  
  
“Give me his name, Byun Baekhyun,” Kris said while gently shaking Baekhyun’s shoulders.

 

  
  
“Huh? Name? Willis, his name is Willis,” Baekhyun answered, eyes slightly glancing at Chanyeol. Chanyeol clearly didn’t look interested to hear about his love life. He still looked bored playing a game on his phone with pursed lips.

 

 

  
“Willis? Do I know this Wilis?” Kris asked with a very serious face.  

 

 

  
“No, we agreed to go on a date last week,” Baekhyun explained while shaking his head. “He’s in my class, a shy boy; you never met him before,”

 

  
  
Kris’s eyebrows knitted, trying to process Baekhyun’s information while his hand scratched his sharp chin. “I need to meet him first so don’t do anything stupid with him yet,” Kris warned.

 

  
  
“Gosh, alright dad,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes and swatted Kris’s hands that were playing with his ears. Grimacing, he knew that Kris liked to pinch his cheeks, nose, and ears. The photography student said that pinching Baekhyun was his newly developed habit. Scoffing, Baekhyun mentally protested Kris’s warning. Doing something stupid? Like what? Kissing? The only lips that Baekhyun kissed was of Chanyeol’s. Since their breakup, he never kissed anyone again. Pathetic, right?

 

  
  
_Baekhyun blushed when Chanyeol pulled away from his lips_ _. He was so embarrassed to look directly at Chanyeol’s eyes. They were celebrating their first anniversary that night and both of them just got back from their dinner date. Chanyeol’s kisses were always_ _innocent and sweet. Baekhyun loved the way Chanyeol’s plush lip_ _s_  moved when he kissed him. That night, the innocent kiss was gone, maybe because of alcohol or both of them wanted to take another step in _their relationship. His heart was about to burst from his rib cage when he felt Chanyeol’s wet tongue_ _swipe his_ bottom lip. He had to grip Chanyeol’s front shirt to support his weak legs. Chanyeol’s cold hand cradled his neck, while his other free hand palmed his _back, pressing their bodies together._

 

  
  
_“Do you like that?” Chanyeol asked with red as a tomato face._

 

  
  
_Baekhyun nodded while biting his bottom lip. “Again,” he mustered up his courage to tiptoe and shyly licked the corner of Chanyeol’s mouth. He could feel Chanyeol’s body shuddered because of the sudden kiss. “_

 

 

_I like it Loey, I love you,”_

 

  
  
_“I love you too, Button.”_

 

  
  
“Kris, just look at his thin lips, I don’t think kissing him will be that great,” Chanyeol snorted and shoved his phone into his pant pocket. Not tearing his gaze away from Baekhyun, he smirked in satisfaction when Baekhyun scowled hard at him with his angry eyes.

 

  
  
_‘Endure, smile, endure,’_  Baekhyun exhaled. “I don’t think that Willis can see you so soon, he’s busy right now,”

 

  
  
“That’s too bad, alright, I’m leaving then. I have class this afternoon, so Chan, I’ll see you tonight,” Kris smiled and wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s waist. He kissed Chanyeol’s cheek and rushed to exit the studio. "Be nice, Chan,"  

 

  
  
Kris left the studio, leaving Baekhyun and Chanyeol awkwardly staring at each other’s faces. They never spoke to each other for nearly three years. Baekhyun tried to lessen the tension between them by starting a conversation. “So how’s life?” he asked but mentally screaming as soon as he realized how stupid the question was. He regretted asking Chanyeol the absurd kind of question because right now Chanyeol looked so pissed off, staring him with a very red flustered face. He stepped back when Chanyeol slowly walked forward to shorten the gap between them. Baekhyun gasped when he was stuck between Chanyeol and his work table when his butt pressed on the side of it. He couldn’t move anywhere. He felt so small when Chanyeol trapped him with his hands on both sides of his body. He flinched when Chanyeol leaned down closer to his face, so close that their noses nearly bumped into each other.

 

  
  
“It’s hell,” Chanyeol whispered. “And you don’t bluntly ask the person that you dump without mercy about his life after you leave him. That’s rude.”  

 

  
  
" I..," Baekhyun gritted his teeth when he felt Chanyeol’s hot breath fanning on his neck and ear.

 

  
  
Chanyeol howled in pain when Baekhyun poked his covered arm with his sewing needle.

 

  
  
“Step inside my personal bubble again and I’ll poke you with this needle again until you bleed,” Baekhyun huffed and threw the slightly bent needle on the table. He quickly pushed Chanyeol away and slowly sat on one of the stool. He sassily pushed his big nerdy spectacle back up to his nose bridge and smirked. “So are you ready? Can we start our discussion professionally?”  

 

  
  
“Bunny Baek!”

 

  
  
Baekhyun and Chanyeol jumped in shock when Kai’s loud voice echoed throughout the empty studio. Kai grinned as he walked toward the bickering couple and stopped right in front of Baekhyun.  

 

  
  
“I need to borrow your Mr. Willis tonight,” Kai said while lifting the naked mannequin, right beside Baekhyun. He whistled while dragging Mr. Willis out from the studio.

 

  
  
Baekhyun’s cheeks felt so hot, he was so embarrassed when he looked at Chanyeol’s smirking face. _'Busted,'_

 

  
  
“So, that’s Mr. Willis? No wonder he's so busy, nice to meet him, by the way.” Chanyeol teased. “We should go on a double date, you know. Me, Kris, you and Willis, watching movies and having dinner together, that sounds fun!”

 

  
  
Baekhyun groaned while slamming his face on his work table. What a great way to meet again with your x. _'Things can't get any more terrible than this, right?'_ he puffed his cheeks and pulled his head high again. “Let’s continue our discussion, shall we?”

 

  
  
“Bunny Baek! I've parked your Loey right outside the studio, at the bicycle stand, thank you!”  


  
  
“Gosh,”

 

 


	3. Dream

 

 

 

“You’re still in love with me,” Chanyeol scoffed, the end of his plump lip curled, smugly smiling to Baekhyun. “What a pity,”

 

  
  
Baekhyun pursed his lips while glaring at Chanyeol. With hands fisted to his sides, he sighed, forcing himself to swallow Chanyeol’s harsh words without saying anything back. Chanyeol’s cruel words slaughtered his tiny heart. It hurt so bad that he felt his heart shattered into tiny pieces. Endless buzzing sound blared inside his ears and mild headache started pounding in his head. Closing his eyes, Baekhyun Inhaled and exhaled deeply, coaxing himself not to easily let Chanyeol crush his weak heart. He didn’t get enough rest and sleep last night, he got a lot on his mind right now and Chanyeol’s sarcasm was the last thing he wanted to add to his already stressful final student year. How he wished it was easy for him to find a new lover, move on like how Chanyeol did, with Kris. But he couldn’t, not when his heart was still filled with Park Chanyeol. He tried really really hard, to give his heart to someone else but there was no one that could replace him, his first love.

  


 

“I- I just remembered that I have to meet with my friends right now so can I see you tomorrow? At lunchtime?” he murmured, hands busy packing up his sewing toolbox on the work table.

 

  
  
“Sure,” Chanyeol shrugged and shoved his phone into his jeans pocket. He didn’t even look at Baekhyun as he quietly walked out from the room.

 

  
  
Baekhyun watched Chanyeol stepped out from the room. “Gosh,” he blinked. Warm tears started gushing out from his eyes, wetting his rosy cheeks. “Stop it, stop it, don’t cry, stop crying Byun Baekhyun,” he cursed, hands and arms busy wiping his wet cheeks. Chanyeol’s words were hard to take for Baekhyun so he kept on weeping while cleaning up his work table. He was so shocked when someone grabbed both of his wrists.

 

 

“Loey?” he blurted. He gasped when Chanyeol pulled him to face each other, towering him with his massive height while leaning closer, clearly stepping into Baekhyun’s personal space. “Let me go!”

 

  
  
“You’re a very egoistic person,” Chanyeol scoffed. He quickly tightened the grip on Baekhyun’s wrists when his x lover tried to pull his hands away.

 

  
  
Baekhyun’s eyes widened when he heard Chanyeol’s accusation. “What do you want to hear from me? That I’m pathetic, still not letting you go even after years of our breakup? Yes…I didn’t move on, are you happy now? Stop pestering me about it. Just go! Please,” Baekhyun yelled with a very shaky voice and harshly tugged his hands away from Chanyeol’s. He had to bit his bottom lip, trying so hard to stop crying while picking up all his belongings on the table. He refused to be in the same room with Chanyeol any longer.  

 

  
  
Chanyeol grabbed all the items from Baekhyun’s hands and slammed it on the table. He cupped Baekhyun’s face with his large palms and whispered. “Is it so hard for you to man up and properly apologize to me, Button?” Chanyeol murmured, thumbs busy wiping fresh tears that were gushing out from Baekhyun’s eyes, wetting his x lover’s soft cheeks. He hissed in pain when Baekhyun’s nails slowly pierced the flesh on his arms when he tried to pull away from his hands. “Don’t you think I deserve it?”

 

  
  
Sighing, Chanyeol’s shoulders slumped when he didn’t get any reaction from Baekhyun. His x lover just stared at him with a very unreadable expression written all over his face. “Wow…you’re cruel,” Chanyeol sneered.

 

 

“In the end, I’m still not worthy of your apology,” he shook his head and released Baekhyun from his grip.

 

  
  
Baekhyun scrambled to pick up his things on the table and rushed to exit the room without even looking back at Chanyeol.

  


 

\---

  


 

“You’re late!” Luhan complained, scowling hard at Baekhyun with both hands on his hips. Frowning, he quickly helped to hold some of Baekhyun’s project garments when he saw how clumsy Baekhyun was trying to juggle between his garments and sewing toolbox in each hand.  “So how’s the new model? Can you get along with him?” he had to ask, curiosity spark inside his heart when he looked at Baekhyun’s sullen face.    

 

  
  
“C-Can you please help me find another model? I don’t think…,” Baekhyun groaned while biting his bottom lip. “I don’t want to cry again Luhan, please stop me from looking so pathetic,”  

 

  
  
Luhan panicked when Baekhyun stared at him with bloated eyes with fresh tears trickling down on his cheeks. “Alright…Alright, I’ll help you find another model, come, let’s grab some lunch first,” he rubbed Baekhyun’s watery face with his palm and wrapped his arm around Baekhyun’s trembling shoulder, gently hauling his best friend into the restaurant.

 

 

\---

 

 

_‘I’m home,’_

  
  
  
  
Smiling, Baekhyun pressed his puffy morning face on his pillow and hummed in bliss when the familiar scent of his mother’s laundry detergent invaded his nose. He missed this smell a lot. He was finally home after spending six years alone in New York without family by his side. He was back for good now and ready to help his father in their business.

  
  


“Hyunnie?” Mrs. Byun smiled at his son who was lazily sprawled on his bed. She sat on the bed and playfully pinched Baekhyun’s nose.  


 

  
Baekhyun scrunched his nose and yawned. He rested his head on Mrs. Byun’s thigh and smiled with closed eyes. “Morning mom,” he hummed when his mom’s long fingers slowly carded his messy hair. Mrs. Byun’s perfume always made Baekhyun felt like home.

  


  
“Hyunnie…, the twins are coming home soon; their favorite babysitter is on his way to fetch them from school and cook for their early dinner, I’m going out with your dad with our friends,” Mrs. Byun said while patting Baekhyun’s cheek.  


 

  
“You didn’t have to hire a babysitter just to take care of the twins, I can help, mom.” Baekhyun shrugged and nuzzled his face on his pillow. He would start helping his dad with their family business next week, so he had plenty of spare time and to relax by himself this week.  


 

  
“Believe me, they like the babysitter so much, more than you, you better prepare your heart, maybe you’ll like him too,” Mrs. Byun chuckled and caressed his son’s tousled hair.    


 

  
Baekhyun frowned. He couldn’t help to feel skeptical for the twins for having a man as their babysitter. “He?” he asked again, just to make sure that he didn’t hear it wrong.  


 

  
“Yes Hyunnnie, he,” Mrs. Byun scoffed. “Don’t worry, I trust him. He helped me take care of the twins since they were babies,”  


 

  
“Really?” Baekhyun squinted at his mom. ‘That sounds too good to be true,’ he wondered what type of a man he is who sacrificed his weekend nights just to take care of his mischievous 6 year old nephew and niece. Sighing, he gave up as he rarely came home when he was studying abroad so maybe he haven't met with the person the twins called ‘Pa’ yet.

  


 

\---

  


 

“Bae uncle, wakey…wakey!” Baekhoo and Baekhee shouted as they kept on jumping on their uncle’s king size bed. Both of them started laughing when they fell on their uncle’s back.

 

  
  
“Come here both of you!” Baekhyun yelped and pulled the twins into his hug. He smooched their faces and chuckled when he heard Baekhee's soft whimper, trying to squirm away from his arms. “Morning angels, how’s your day today?”

 

 

  
“Eww, your breath stink. Go and brush your teeth!” Baekhee grimaced while wiping her cheek. “Let me go, you’re going to ruin my ponytail!” she whined and swatted Baekhyun’s hand that was playing with her long hair.

 

  
  
“What’s so special about your ponytail, sweetheart?” Baekhyun lazily rubbed his face on Baekhoo's hair while pulling his small body into his embrace. Baekhoo was much calmer than his sassy sister; he just smiled and let Baekhyun pressed plenty of kisses on his chubby face.

 

  
  
Baekhee grumbled as she properly sat on the bed while fixing her messy hair. “Pa tied my hair in the car, he said I look pretty with my ponytail,” Baekhee shrugged.

 

  
  
“Pa?” Baekhyun squinted. “Who’s Pa?”

 

  
  
“Pa? You don’t remember Pa?” Baekhoo gasped while covering his wide-open mouth with his small palms.

 

  
  
“Okay, that’s a little dramatic acting you got there, I’m starting to feel bad not remembering your Pa,” Baekhyun’s eyebrows knitted, trying to remember the said name. He was so sure that he never heard the twins called anyone Pa before.

 

  
  
“Come and eat with us, Pa already cooked for us. Pa’s cooking is the best, hurry up and get up!” Both of them screamed and jumped off from Baekhyun’s bed, giggling as they ran out from their uncle’s bedroom.

 

  
  
Baekhyun’s eyelids felt so heavy when his room was quiet again. Knowing that the twins were with their beloved babysitter, he yawned while lazily rubbing his face on his pillow and dozed off into his dreamland. 

 

  
  
“Button…, wake up,”

 

  
  
Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered open when he heard a very deep voice calling his name. ‘Loey?’ he blinked, refused to believe what he saw right in front of his eyes was real. Park Chanyeol was kneeling right beside his bed, adoringly staring at his puffy morning face. Loey looked so handsome with styled up hair, wearing polka dot apron and smelled like fresh cookies. Thinking about how crazy his mind was after seeing Park Chanyeol months ago, he sighed. ‘I keep seeing him in my dreams now,’ he groggily sat up and placed his palms on Chanyeol’s cheeks. He smiled when he realized how big Chanyeol’s eyes were, bewilderedly staring back at him, probably shocked because of his sudden bold movement. He vividly remembered in his dreams, they usually just dumbly stared at each other’s faces, without doing or saying anything.

 

  
  
Baekhyun was determined to push his dream to its fullest potential. He pressed his lips on Chanyeol’s and pulled him on the bed. Soft throaty groan from Chanyeol encouraged him to be bolder. He moaned when Chanyeol started kissing him back, licking every corner of his lips. He could feel Chanyeol’s body tensing up, trying not to squash into him when both of them fell on the bed. Not breaking from their wet kisses, Baekhyun chuckled while rolling their bodies together on the bed. He pinned Chanyeol on the bed by sitting on his stomach with both legs straddling on Chanyeol’s sides. Smiling, he pulled away from Chanyeol’s lips and slipped his fingers into Chanyeol’s neat hairs, ruffling it before harshly tugging it and pressing their foreheads together. They were heavily panting, trying to steady their breathing with their eyes closed, enjoying the silent moment between them.

  
  


“Gosh..I miss you, I miss you so much, Loey,” he gasped when Chanyeol tugged his lip between his teeth, strongly sucking his lip and released it when Baekhyun cried in pain.  _‘Ouch!_ _In_ _Dream,_ _you're_ _not supposed to feel hurt_ _,_ _right?’_ Baekhyun frowned while tracing his fingertips on his swollen lips. He flinched when Chanyeol palmed his naked thighs. The way Loey’s palms pinched and rubbed his thighs with his calloused palms, it felt so warm, so real and so, so familiar. He was definitely not in a dream because Loey was looking at him with his swollen lips and bedroom eyes. _‘Oh shit!’_ he scrambled off from Chanyeol’s body, ignoring Chanyeol’s deep voice calling for his name over and over again and rushed into his bathroom. He quickly locked the door before slumping his weak body on the floor.  


 

  
“Button?”

 

  
  
Baekhyun looked at his reflection in the large bathroom mirror. He was so horrified when he saw he was wearing Chanyeol’s worn out baggy shirt and boxer shorts to sleep last night. Chanyeol always wore these set of clothes every time he came to sleepover at his house. He cursed, harshly tugging his hair and started screaming in silence while kicking his feet on the floor. Sighing, he rubbed his flustered red face with his palms and weakly muttered. “Just go away, please,”         


 

  
“Come out and eat with us, the twins want to eat with their uncle,” Chanyeol said while placing his palm on the door.  


 

  
After spending half an hour, walking back and forth inside his room with so many questions inside his clouded mind, Baekhyun puffed his cheeks and finally gathered the courage to enter the kitchen area. The twins greeted him with big smiles on their faces while happily clapping their hands. He awkwardly sat beside Baekhoo and ruffled his nephew's hairs. He glanced at Chanyeol who was still busy preparing something on the kitchen island, back facing him and the twins.  


 

  
“Bae uncle, do you know that Pa is going to propose to his lover today?”       


 

 

 


	4. The Journal

 

 

 

“Bae uncle, do you know that Pa is going to propose to his lover today?”

  
  


 

Baekhyun was glad that Chanyeol was still busy cooking, giving his back to them because right now he looked so pathetic, gripping the edge of the kitchen island, gasping for air. Baekhoo’s statement knocked the air out of him, making him feel suffocated and breathless. He was wheezing as if someone had punched him right in the stomach. His heart nearly stopped beating for a while and he wanted to scream in agony when he felt it was ripped away violently out of his chest. It was so painful. His body went slack and numb, he could no longer feel his legs or hear anything around him. A gentle tap on his hand from Baekhoo snapped Baekhyun from his mental meltdown.

  
  


 

“Bae uncle, are you alright?”

  
  


 

Fighting the tears that threatened to gush out from his eyes, Baekhyun shook his head and ruffled his nephew's hairs. “C-congratulation,” he murmured, barely audible from everyone’s ears. But he didn’t care, it took so much for him to muster the courage to say those words because he was battling his inner conflict. His entire body was screaming no, no, no like a mantra inside his head.

 

 

 _‘Shit,’_ beads of tears started pouring down his cheeks, just like a broken dam, it was unstoppable and sadly, he couldn’t do anything to end it. Clumsily jolting up from his seat, Baekhyun quickly excused himself. The twins and Chanyeol’s attention were diverted at him when he accidentally knocked some of the eating utensils on the table, making it fell noisily on the floor.  

 

 

“I-I have some important call to make, you guys eat first,” he mumbled, not bothering to pick up the scattered spoon and fork from the floor as he rushed out from the kitchen.

  
  


 

After making sure that Chanyeol and the twins had left the house, Baekhyun decided to head over to his father’s shop. After he graduated, he was going to work with his father, helping the old man to manage their family’s legacy as an exclusive suit maker in Gangnam. Looking back at the shop’s history, his great-grandfather was a tailor for an American ambassador’s family. From them, he gained knowledge and experience in suit making.  Byun’s tailor was his father’s pride and joy, passed down from his great-grandfather. There was an internal joke made among the Byun’s that they were actually the hidden Kingsman agents.

  
  


 

Baekhyun gently pushed the big glass door that led him into the Byun’s tailor shop. He always loved the view of their posh boutique. Everything inside the shop looked so modern and elegant, using white as the main interior color pallets that contrasted with blotches of dark colored furniture and neatly arranged suit. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he loved the smell of new clothes and fabric that lingered in the air that he breathed.  

  
  


 

“Mr. Baekhyun, welcome back!” a chirpy middle age man greeted Baekhyun and pulled him into his embrace.

  
  


 

“Miss you too, Pa,” Baekhyun smiled and patted the old man’s back. Mr. Kim was his father’s best friend and had been helping his father to manage the shop since they were young as they both shared the same passion for a suit. Making a perfectly tailored suit for a gentleman was their goal. “How is mama Kim doing?” he winced when Mr. Kim pinched his nose.

  
  


 

“She misses you, go and visit her when you have time, alright?”

  
  


 

Baekhyun smiled and nodded. Mr. Kim had to excuse himself when he was being called by his customer. With heavy steps, Baekhyun strolled further toward his workroom. He walked past his father’s empty room and by the time he passed Mrs. Kim’s room, his heart started to beat erratically inside his chest. Cold sweat started to form on his forehead. He was getting anxious as he stepped further toward the end of the hallway, to his own room. The room that he had left for years since he broke up with Loey. Since their break up and his overseas studies, he never had the gut to visit the room once. He did a very good job avoiding it.    

  
  


 

 _‘oh God,’_ Baekhyun grumbled, hand trembling while twisting the doorknob to push open the thick mahogany door. The air inside the room made him whimpered. Mentally cursing, Baekhyun bit his bottom lip. After so many years, the room still smells like his Loey. Loey had this sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee that stayed all over his body, maybe because of his addiction to coffee. Rubbing his nose, Baekhyun sighed. Nothing changes inside the room. It looked just like the last day he left it as they didn’t do anything to it except cleaning it from dust. His favorite Chanyeol’s baggy sweatshirt was folded nicely and placed on the couch.  He always used his clothes as a blanket to warm his body. The egoistic side of him refused to brought the sweatshirts with him to New York. Hesitantly moving forward to the couch, Baekhyun placed his palms on the sweatshirt, gliding his fingertips on the woolly fabric. His heart stung when he remembered how he used to bicker with Chanyeol about taking the taller boy’s clothes for a wash after Baekhyun hogged it for weeks. Loey kept on nagging him and threatened to hide the sweatshirts if he still stubbornly didn’t get them cleaned.

 

 

The gush of wind that came through the open window brushed Baekhyun’s pale face. Huffing, he rushed to close the window to avoid all the things inside his workstation to be wiped away by the wind. He slumped his body on the comfy two seater couch and peeked outside the window. A small smile escaped from his lips when he saw the old bread shop that was just across his father’s tailor shop. He remembered how he and Loey used to always chat while looking out from the window with warm hot chocolate in their hands. As Baekhyun was thinking about old memories while looking out of the window that suddenly a customer walked out from that bread shop, holding a paper bag in his hand, caught his attention.

 

 

“He’s buying croissant because his lover loves it so much,” Baekhyun murmured. It was just a wild guess, he chuckled, remembering that guessing what the customer bought from the bread shop was one of the silly games that he played with Loey when they were inside the room. 

 

 

 _'This hurt_ _s_ _so bad, help me,’_  Baekhyun gripped his chest, trying to ease the pain but failed miserably. His eyes darted to his workstation, the place where he did his sketches and cut his fabrics. The measuring tape was draped across the table and his heart throbbed wildly again when he saw Loey’s initial at end of the tape.

 

 

 

_“Loey, what are you doing?” Baekhyun asked, watching Chanyeol leave his initials on all of his sewing kits, that included the measuring tape, his ruler and his sketchbooks, using his black sharpie._

 

 

 

_Chanyeol’s eyes crinkled as he continued to leave his initials on Baekhyun’s things inside the room. “I want you to always remember me, ”_

  
  


 

“I will always remember you, dummy,” Baekhyun grumbled.

 

 

“Oh god, I miss you so much,” he whined and curved his body into a ball with thighs pressed to his chest. He grabbed Chanyeol’s sweatshirts and used it to covered his legs before wrapping his arms around his bent legs. He nuzzled his nose on Loey’s sweatshirt and rested his cheek on his knees. His eyes still wandered around the room. An opened red color journal on his table caught his attention.

  
  


 

“Our journal?” Baekhyun frowned. They used the journal to send messages between them if they couldn’t see each other. He squirmed when the air inside the room suddenly felt so chill. Glancing out the window, he sighed, it was raining, no wonder it was cold. Baekhyun slipped into Loey’s sweatshirts and hummed when the fabric made him warm. He loved the way the long sleeves covered his small hands entirely. He stood up to grab the journal and slumped back into the couch. Baekhyun smiled while reading the small notes that they made to each other.

  
  


 

_Loey;_

 

_The bread shop is close so remember to eat as I can’t meet you today because I have an extra class to attend! Btw, outside, the weather is rainy; it’s cold, so I’m wearing your stinky sweatshirt to stay warm...luv you._

  
  


 

_Button;_

 

_I ’m going out with my dad, family things. Eat and eat a lot, you look cute when you’re eating. Hmm, outside weather is sunny, like you…eeeey so cheesy, love you._

  
  


 

_Loey;_

 

_I win! Our teacher bought a doughnut from the bread shop! I saw him eating it during recess time. I can’t see you today; I miss you; The outside weather is windy, blow ing kisses at you so go and catch it!_

  
  


 

There were hundreds of messages written in the journal. Some messages made him laugh. Park Chanyeol and his silly antics. The more he read it, the more his heart felt like it was starting to crack and if he didn’t stop, it would probably shatter into tiny pieces. It was hard, pretending to be alright while trying to read Loey’s sweet messages that were directed to him, especially for him, back then, when they were so madly in love with each other. Big fat tears spilled from his eyes, wetting his cheeks when he realized there were no more messages to read. They stopped writing it when they broke up. He traced his fingers on the blank pages and sniffled. His breath hitched when after pages of blank sheets, Loey started leaving small notes again. It was such a torture; all he could do was reading it without replying.

  
  
  
  


_Button ;_

 

_I miss you, its midnight and it’s raining. My heart hurts, do you miss me?_

  
  


 

_Button ;_

 

_It’s cold, I miss hugging you. Come back quickly…_

  
  


 

_Button ;_

 

_I sold my first car. I would kiss and hug you if you were here with me._

  
  
  


 

_Button ;_

 

_The weather is so cold today. It's snowing. Your scent is disappearing from my sweatshirts. I need you right now. I can’t do anything to stop it. Do you still remember me? I’m your Loey ..._

  
  
  


 

_Button ;_

 

_It's Christmas and I am putting up our tree inside your workplace...it’s beautiful. I wish you were here with me, that would have been a great gift for me this Christmas._

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun started to sob terribly. His body trembled as he kept on turning the pages. Loey’s messages would appear at random pages. Throughout the years, Chanyeol grew more mature in writing his messages but all his messages tugged Baekhyun’s heart. Baekhyun made him suffered so much. The last messages that Chanyeol left in the journal, made him gasp.

  
  
  


_Button ;_

 

_I’m getting married._

  
  
  
  


Shaking his head, Baekhyun pressed the journal close to his chest. “No…no…no, you love me, you love me, please don’t,” he whimpered.

 

 


	5. Eyes

 

 

Baekhyun was crying his heart out when his phone started to ring. Sniffling, he fished out his phone from inside his pant pocket and stared at the caller ID with a big frown on his face. “Kris?”

  
  


“Pumpkin?”

  
  


“K-kris?” Baekhyun yelped. Hearing his best friend’s voice made him cry again. It had been so difficult for him to adapt to new surroundings without the circle of his close friends who were always there for him for so many years in New York. He missed them a lot.

  
  


He never thought that his world revolved around Park Chanyeol ever since they became friends. Baekhyun was not a very friendly type of a person. The only friend that he ever had until he left for New York, was only this 16 years old boy named Park Chanyeol. When he came back to Korea with a broken relationship, there was no friend to return to. That made him felt so lost and lonely.

  
  


“Hey, Pumpkin? Are you alright? Why are you crying?”

  
  


“I-I miss you so much, I miss Luhan too,” Baekhyun sobbed, arms clutching tightly the journal on his chest.

  
  


“Don't cry Pumpkin, I can’t help to wipe those tears off of your face,” Kris cooed. “I miss my adorable Pumpkin too,” he chuckled.

  


“Where are you right now? Are you at your parent’s house?” Baekhyun asked as he wiped his wet face with the back of his hand.

  
  


“If I tell you that I’m still enjoying my vacation in China, would you like to come and join me here too?”

  
  


“Yes, I’m going to catch the earliest flight there, wait for me,” Baekhyun huffed.

  
  


“Woah...calm down, Pumpkin. I was joking,” Kris gasped. “I wanted to surprise you but hearing you like this,” he sighed. “Where are you, buddy?”

  
  


“At my father’s shop,” Baekhyun muttered.

  
  


“Ok, I’m going to send my address right now, come and meet me there,”

  
  


“W-what? You are here?” Baekhyun shrieked and got up from the couch. He could hear Kris’s soft laughter before he ended their phone conversation.

 

 

\---

 

 

Baekhyun drove toward Kris’s given address. He arrived at a very tall building in the heart of the Gangnam city. “Seven floors,” he muttered as he pressed the elevator button. It was a huge empty studio apartment with so many unopened boxes scattered along the hallway. “Kris?” he called, voice echoed throughout the empty floor.

  
  


“Pumpkin?”

  
  


“Kris!” Baekhyun beamed and rushed toward Kris to pull him into his arms. They both laughed when Kris lifted Baekhyun up and spun him around. “I’m glad to see you!” he smiled, arms wrapped tightly around Kris’s waist.

  
  


“I’m glad to see you too,” Kris smiled, stroking Baekhyun’s head. “You look so skinny, Pumpkin,” he mumbled, scowling at his best friend.

  
  


Baekhyun hummed, pressing his face on Kris’s chest, he missed his best friend’s body fragrance so much. He whined when Kris gently pushed him away.

  
  


“Let me look at you again,” Kris frowned, eyeing every inch of Baekhyun’s skinny body. “Where did your mochi cheeks go? You’re worrying me, Pumpkin. Are you having some trouble right now?”

  
  


Kris’s question made his heart throbs in pain and tears started to gather in his eyes again. Baekhyun sniffled, shaking his head vigorously. “I’m fine,” he whispered, pulling Kris back into his arms.

  
  


_Button_ _,_ _I’m getting married_ _._

  
  


Baekhyun’s breath hitched when Chanyeol’s last message that he wrote in the journal flashed inside his head. He then remembered that Chanyeol was getting married soon, to his best friend. Kris was a very good man and Chanyeol deserved to be loved by someone like him. “Congratulation on your marriage, Yifan,” he whispered, totally insincere. He could feel Kris’s body tense in his arms. _‘Did Chanyeol already told him about his past? Of course he would, they are getting married,’_ he screamed internally.

  
  


“Really, Byun Baekhyun?” Kris snickered and squirmed away from Baekhyun. He stepped back and left Baekhyun to sit on one of the small boxes beside the window.

  
  


Baekhyun tailed behind Kris and sat, facing his friend on the floor. “Chanyeol already told you about his past?” he mumbled, palms rubbing on his knees. They were friends for so many years but Baekhyun never saw Kris looked so sad and gloomy like this.

  
  


Kris sighed as he pushed his hairs back. “I love him a lot,” he muttered and shifted his gaze toward Baekhyun.

  
  


Pursing his lips, Baekhyun tried to smile, to look happy for his friend. Kris’ confession stung his heart. He wanted to close his ears and bolt away if he could. “You didn't know about me when you introduced us together, right?”

  
  


“Yes, “ Kris answered. “I-I came to know about you recently,”

  
  


“K-Kris, I don't know what to say,” Baekhyun whispered and placed his hand on top of Kris’s knees. “Y-you’re getting married, right? I am his past, I’m sure he must have told you that, right?”

  
  


“I’ve crossed the line, Pumpkin,” Kris smiled and ruffled Baekhyun’s hair.

  
  


“Crossed the line?” Baekhyun’s eyebrows knitted as he stared at Kris’s sad face.

  
  


“Our relationship was built out of lust,” Kris stated. “I fell in love with him along the way so it's my fault, entirely,” he sighed. “He warned me about not to fall in love with him as he could never return my feelings. Chanyeol didn't want me to get hurt,”

  
  


“You fell in love?” Baekhyun mumbled, eyes cast down on his lap.

  
  


“You see, I tried so hard to fill the empty hole in Chanyeol’s heart. When you left him, you took away a large part of his heart,” Kris smiled and placed his palms on Baekhyun’s cheeks. “He lost his emotions. He loves you so much that he didn't know what to do with his life when you left him,”

  
  


“I…,” Baekhyun paused, eyes locked on Kris’s face. “I-I didn't mean to hurt him, I love him a lot with all my heart,” he wheezed. “I love him so much, Kris,” he sobbed while gripping on Kris’s knees.

  
  


Snickering, Kris patted Baekhyun’s hands. “Oh really?”  

  
  


Lowering his eyes from looking at Kris’s mocking face, Baekhyun sighed. “I didn't have a choice, I had to do that!” He blurted.

  
  


Kris’s eyebrows knitted as he wiped Baekhyun’s wet cheeks. “You’re hiding something from him,”

  
  


“If I tell you this, please keep it secret from him. Promise me, Kris!” Baekhyun sighed when he saw Kris nod. “It’s true that going to New York was my biggest dream, but Park Chanyeol was in that dream too. I wanted both of us to go there,” he paused. “Until one day Chanyeol’s father, Papa Park, met me and begged me not to bring his son along. I guess my father told him about my plan as Papa Park wanted Chanyeol to stay here and help him with his business since he knew Chanyeol would follow me and leave everyone behind, including his parents,”

  
  


“So this was the reason why you broke up with him and left?” Kris said. “That is the stupidest thing that I’ve heard in my entire life,” he scoffed. “You left him to suffer because of his father?”

  
  


“Chanyeol loves his parents. Papa Park is not well, Kris, if something happens to him I will feel so guilty. He needs his son, more than I do,”

  
  


“Why didn't you tell him about it?”

  
  


“So that he hates his father?” Baekhyun groaned. “I want to beg for his forgiveness, but every time I see his sad eyes, I can't. He’s not the same Park Chanyeol that I love anymore,”

  
  


“So, you’re going to give up?” Kris shrugged.

  
  


“No! I want him back, please Kris, I love him, it was my fault,” Baekhyun sniffled, palms gripping Kris’s knees.

  


“You destroyed him, Byun Baekhyun. Do you think he can easily accept you back in his life?”

  
  


Wiping his wet cheeks with his shirt, Baekhyun sighed. “I love him so much. I know he hates me. It's definitely selfish of me if I want him back in my life now after what I did to him,”

  
  


“You’re right, you’re selfish therefore he deserves someone better,”

  
  


Kris’s words jabbed Baekhyun right through his heart. He felt so pathetic. Covering his face with his palms, Baekhyun sobbed. “I know. I just want to beg for his forgiveness. I want to tell him that I love him so much and…,” he paused mid sentence as he stared at Kris’s face. He just let out his true feelings in front of the man who was going to marry Park Chanyeol. How embarrassing.

  
  


“You don’t want him to get married too?” Kris snickered, crossing his arms over his chest.  

  
  


Pursing his lips, Baekhyun nodded, tears dripping out from his eyes again. “I-I’m sorry...I’m sorry, Kris,”  

  
  


Kris sighed and caressed Baekhyun’s hair. “I’m not the one that he is going to marry, Pumpkin,”

  
  


“W-what?” Baekhyun stuttered. “There’s someone else?”

  
  


Kris frowned. “Hmm, I remember he told me that he let his father choose his future life partner, he said he didn't have anything to anticipate in his life anymore,”

  


 

\---  


 

 

Baekhyun decided to get some fresh air from the crowded gala that he attended that night by sneaking into the empty balcony. His parents requested him to come along with them to the Park’s company gala dinner. He didn't want to go, how could he when he already knew that there will be a very special announcement by Mr. Park that night. He was sure that they would be announcing Park Chanyeol’s wedding that evening. He didn't want to embarrass himself by bawling so hard in the middle of the crowd when the announcement would be made. But, because of his mother’s sad face, pleading him to come, made him weak.

  
  
  


So there he was, pretending to be happy that night, smiling at his parent’s friends when being introduced. His mother already prepared the Byun’s black color suit for him to wear and it matched well with the beautiful mask in his hand. He was glad that the gala theme required them to wear a mask, at least the gold color custom-made mask decorated with expensive colorful stones and glitters by his mother, would help hide his bloated face. He was crying for hours after he met Kris yesterday. He tried to find Chanyeol but Baekhyun knew he was avoiding him. Besides, if he managed to find him what would he tell him? Selfishly telling him that he wanted him back now? Asking him to stop the wedding? It was too late. Groaning, Baekhyun pinched the bridge of his nose. He was mentally tired of over thinking about his sad love story. Letting go was the best option so Baekhyun decided to let him go. Park Chanyeol deserved to be happy.

  
  
  


The vibration in his pant pocket snapped Baekhyun from his thoughts. Sighing, he fished out his phone and smiled when he read his mother’s text messages asking him about his whereabouts. After replying to her text, he put back the mask on his face and huffed. _‘You can do this_ _,_ _Byun Baekhyun,’_ he mentally cheered.

  
  
  


Cursing, Baekhyun stumbled towards the hall. The area at the balcony was dark, it was secluded at the end of the banquet hall. _‘How on earth did I get here in the first place?’_ he whined, stepping carefully towards the bright light that led towards the banquet hall’s door. He didn't get enough sleep last night so his head was throbbing in pain while his small heart shattered into tiny pieces to the point that it was beyond repair. Staggering towards the large mahogany door, his uncoordinated legs made him trip for the second time. Shutting his eyes, he squealed and in a blink, he was already sitting on the cold hard floor of the balcony.

  
  


Whimpering, he rubbed his waist and sluggishly got up from the floor. He was busy patting the dust off from his knees while walking when he stumbled into someone’s body. The hard commotion made him wobble few steps back.

  


“Sorry,” Baekhyun mumbled, hands busy fixing the mask on his face. “Are you alright? I’m sorry,” he sighed. The mysterious man’s unresponsive behavior made him frown. A familiar scent of a light smell of coffee hit his nose, making the hair on his arms and nape stand up. _‘Loey?’_ he shuddered. He didn't dare to look up. His heartbeat thumped wildly inside his heart, cold sweat began to form on his forehead.

  
  


“What are you doing here?”

  
  


The low baritone along with the cold style of greeting from the stranger, made him flinch. Baekhyun’s eyes widened at the sight of his ex boyfriend, looking so handsome in his nice navy blue suit. Chanyeol wore a black color mask, covering half of his face but Baekhyun could see that his eyes were dark, piercing through his soul. His ex was scowling at him like he was his worst enemy. Did Chanyeol already forgotten about the breathless kiss that they shared a few days ago? The kiss was so heartwarming, Baekhyun still remembered Chanyeol's warm and plump lips when it pressed against his eager mouth. “Loey,” he muttered.

  


Chanyeol scoffed, not breaking the eye contact. "You left Loey to die alone years ago. What are you doing here now? Seeing you gives me headaches," he groaned, fingers pinching his temple.

  


"Get out of my sight, Byun Baekhyun," Chanyeol snapped, already turning his heels to walk into the ballroom again.

  


“W-wait,” Baekhyun pleaded, hands gripping tightly on his ex boyfriend’s suit. Chanyeol’s angry glare didn't stop him from tugging their bodies closer. He knew he was gaping like a dying fish in front of his ex when he couldn't find any suitable words to say to him.

  


“Hands..off...my...suit,”  

 

 


	6. Follow you

 

Clenching his teeth, Baekhyun slowly released Chanyeol’s suit. “I’m sorry,” he said, eyes looking down on Chanyeol’s fisted hand. His ex looked so pissed off like he was about to punch him on the face.

 

 

 _‘He hate me so much,’_ Baekhyun could feel his heart bleed.

 

 

“What do you want from me, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol barked, pushing his hair back in anger.

 

 

Baekhyun’s heart sunk at the way how harsh Chanyeol treated him. The Loey that he knew wouldn't be rude like this. Loey was a sweet, talker and a fine gentleman. All these years, Loey had matured and turned into a cold and expressionless man.

 

 

“Congratulation,” he mumbled, trying his best to stretch his trembling lips to smile at his ex. “I wish for your happiness...I…,”

 

 

“Shut it, I don't need your blessings or wishes, keep it to yourself,”

 

 

Since they met, Chanyeol kept stabbing him with his cruel words, the invisible wall that Baekhyun built to protect his heart from getting hurt by him started crumbling down. He couldn't take it anymore, he finally broke down and cried in front of Chanyeol.

 

 

“Please stop...treating me like this,” he sniffled. Baekhyun noticed the small changes in Chanyeol’s dark eyes, he was no longer scowling at him.

 

 

“Go home,” Chanyeol mumbled as he walked away from Baekhyun to enter the banquet hall.

 

 

\---

 

 

Baekhyun kept on splashing his face with water in the hotel’s bathroom. He had to grip the edge of the marble countertop to keep his wobbly legs from giving up on him. He knew that his parents were searching for him because his phone won’t stop vibrating inside his pant pocket. He was tired, tired for harboring special feelings for Park Chanyeol for years. He just couldn't let him go. He loved him so much to the point that he looked so pathetic and stupid for behaving like this.

 

 

Tears didn't seem to stop running from his eyes, he had been crying for nearly an hour inside the bathroom. His eyes were red and his face was bloated. He was too embarrassed to enter the banquet hall looking wreck like this. He winced when a sharp pain throbbed in his head. Ever since he met Chanyeol again, he could no longer get a good night’s sleep. He flinched when he heard someone pushed open the bathroom door. He purposely chose the farthest bathroom from the banquet hall to prevent something like this from happening. To be caught crying like this was so embarrassing. Quickly wiping his wet face, Baekhyun scooted away from the sink and awkwardly stood there at the corner of the bathroom to hide his face.

 

 

“I told you to go home,”

 

 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened when he saw Chanyeol. He started to panic when he heard Chanyeol locked the bathroom door. He was about to hide in one of the cubicles but gasped when Chanyeol grabbed his wrist and pushed his back against the cold bathroom wall. The way Chanyeol was staring at him this time was different. Chanyeol’s eyes were no longer showing any sign of hatred towards him. He was staring at him like his long lost love, Loey.

 

 

“Button,”

 

 

Baekhyun cried again, harder than before. How he longed to be called that again. To hear that word from Chanyeol made him so happy and sad at the same time, how could he forget him now?

 

 

“Why...why are you torturing me?” he hissed, hands fisted in Chanyeol’s front suit. He couldn't stop sobbing when Chanyeol ran his thumb on his cheek to wipe his tears away. “You should have let me be,”

 

 

“I...I don't want you to get hurt, please go home, button,” Chanyeol pleaded.

 

 

“Not be able to see you again hurts me more!” Baekhyun cried. He didn't care how horrible he looked while crying so hard with tears ruining his face and snort running down his nose. “So please...please don't send me away,”

 

 

“I’m going to hurt you soon, Button.”

 

 

Shaking his head, Baekhyun placed his hands on top of Chanyeol’s palms that were still cupping his face. “Stop the marriage, please Loey. I’m begging you, stop it,”

 

 

“Button, there’s nothing I can do now. I’m not going to embarrass my father if I bailed out from the marriage arrangement last minute,”

 

 

“I’m sorry...Loey, I’m really sorry,”

 

 

“I really hope that I could have heard those words before I said yes to my father’s suggestion,” Chanyeol sighed. “Hearing it now… don't you think it’s too late?”

 

 

“Tell me what can I do to stop this, please Loey,”

 

 

“There’s nothing that you can do now, Button,” Chanyeol murmured. “Maybe this is our fate, we are never meant to be together,”

 

 

Baekhyun cupped Chanyeol’s face and pulled him closer. “No...no! You don't love her!”

 

 

Chanyeol smiled weakly. “Love? The person that you love the most can only hurt and cut you deeply. The damage done by you is far more painful to bear for me than my loveless marriage,”

 

 

“I’m sorry for leaving you, I’m sorry for bringing you pain instead of happiness, I’m sorry for breaking my promises, I’m sorry for everything” Baekhyun wept, he could no longer see Chanyeol’s face clearly due to his nonstop tears.

 

 

“Please give me another chance,Loey. Please!”

 

 

Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s hands and pulled them away from holding his face. “I’m sorry, Button. I've got to go,” he mumbled while staring at Baekhyun’s trembling fingers that were now clutching his suit. Both of them stayed silent, eyes locked with each other. They were so lost in their deep thoughts until Chanyeol’s phone started to ring. Chanyeol was the first one who tore his gaze away and turned his heels towards the bathroom door.

 

 

“I’m not going to stop loving you, Loey.” Baekhyun said as he watched Chanyeol’s retreating back.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Where the hell have you been, Baek?” Mrs. Byun asked and tugged his son closer to her side. “You look so pale, are you alright?” She frowned, staring at her son worriedly.

 

 

Baekhyun gave his mother a reassuring smile and patted her hand. “I’m fine, don't worry.”

 

 

“Mr and Mrs Byun?”

 

 

\---

 

 

Baekhyun wanted to run when Chanyeol’s parents offered them to sit with them at the VIP table. Chanyeol and him had broken up but their parents were still good friends for so many years.

 

 

 _‘This is so awkward,’_ Since the day he broke up with Chanyeol, he never met Chanyeol’s parents again. But they still treated him well, just like when he was still dating Chanyeol. They were so nice to him and it made him feel bad.

 

 

 _‘Did they even considered their son’s heart?’ I’m the bad person that hurt your son, can you at least pretend that you are angry with me?’_ he mentally screamed. How oblivious Chanyeol’s parents were towards their son’s heartbreak, irked him a lot. They were being cruel to Chanyeol.

 

 

Chanyeol’s brooding eyes were not helping either, he made it worst. The good looking man, the star of the night looked so confused trapped in the middle of the sudden meeting of their parents at the table.

 

 

Leaning closer to his mother, Baekhyun whispered. “Mom, can we go home? This is so awkward,”

 

 

“So, after being abroad for so many years, you're finally here. Your parents must be so proud of you,” Mr. Park smiled. “Are you going to help your father, Baek?”

 

 

Baekhyun nodded, smiling at Mr. Park. “I’m going to start working with my father,I have so many things to learn from him,”

 

 

“That’s good. You’re an ambitious young man, I'm sure you are going to do well. You are lucky to have your son helping you with your company, Byun, just like I’m lucky to have my son working for me right now,” Mr. Park beamed and patted Chanyeol’s shoulder.

 

 

Mr. Park’s eyes sparkled when he looked at his son. Park Chanyeol was his parent’s pride and joy. They really love him and Baekhyun knew that they wanted the best for him.

 

 

“So, Byun, when is the date? I hope we can arrange their wedding soon, I want to send my son for a long honeymoon. He has been working for me so hard for the past few years so I want him to take a break,”

 

 

“Excuse me?” Chanyeol and Baekhyun coroused. Both looking so confused staring at each other’s faces.

 

 

“Who is going to get married?” Baekhyun frowned, breaking the silence at the dining table.

 

 

“You and Chanyeol,” Mr. Park smiled, caresing Chanyeol’s back with his palm.

 

 

“What do you mean us?” Chanyeol snapped, flinching from his father’s hand. Glaring at Baekhyun, Chanyeol scoffed. “Were you aware about anything related to this, Byun Baekhyun?”

 

 

Shaking his head lightly, Baekhyun sighed. “I don't know anything about this, I swear, Chanyeol,”

 

 


	7. suprise

 

_‘Why did I agreed to follow our parents’ suggestion in the first place?’_

 

Baekhyun thought, eyebrows knitted as he dragged his luggage inside the hotel suite.

 

 

_‘What was I thinking?’_ he whined and slapped his cheeks for a couple of times. When his father and Mr. Park suggested that they were going to send them for a little work trip at Jeju, Baekhyun quickly agreed without giving much thought to it. He was desperate to repair his broken relationship with Chanyeol and too eager to make Chanyeol love him back. Maybe Chanyeol was saying the truth, he was a very selfish person.

 

 

“This is so stupid…me and my stupid brain,” he grumbled as he kicked his luggage bag towards the wardrobe area. He walked further into the expensive honeymoon suite, not bothering to look elsewhere inside the room but headed straight towards the balcony area. Pushing the big sliding window open, he smiled when the warm seabreeze hit his skin. Glancing at his back, the empty room made him sigh. Chanyeol was taking his sweet time to get here.

 

 

They arrived together but he knew that Chanyeol was avoiding him. He remembered how shocked Chanyeol was when Mr. Park told them about their marriage arrangement. Their family had it all planned behind their back, and their luxurious but sadly, loveless wedding, whether they like it or not, was going to be held at the end of the month.

 

 

“Its less than three weeks,” Baekhyun huffed.

 

 

“Are you ready to hear Chanyeol’s venomous words that will poison your weak heart? Are you up for this, Byun Baekhyun?” he yelped as he jumped on his spot repeatedly, legs and hands busy kicking and punching on nothing but air.

 

 

“You are going to disturb other guests with your tantrum,”

 

 

Baekhyun flinched, eyes widened when he heard Chanyeol’s deep voice slashing through the silent room. Guping his saliva thickly, Baekhyun stood frozen there as he stared at his soon to be husband making his way towards him while pulling his big luggage bag with a big frown on his face.

 

 

“I’m not throwing a tantrum,” he yelped, scowling hard at Chanyeol.

 

 

“Sure,” Chanyeol squinted while placing his luggage bag neatly beside Baekhyun’s bag. Stretching out his long limbs, he yawned and started shedding away layers of his clothes.

 

 

_‘Hello? Can you change your clothes in the bathroom? I’m right here in front of you?’_

 

Baekhyun mentally cursed at the sight. He was holding his breath when he saw Chanyeol’s slightly darker skin started to show at every layer of fabric that was being pulled away from his body. He was amazed at how the skinny Loey that he knew years back had grown up into a very manly man with visible veins crawling on his arms and hands.

 

 

Chanyeol stopped unbuckling his belt and turned to look at Baekhyun. “I need some privacy,” he stated with furrowed eyebrows.

 

 

“Oh..,” Baekhyun blushed and turned his heels to look at the breathtaking sea scenery behind him instead.

 

 

_‘How can I fix us?’_

 

 

Biting his lip, Baekhyun sighed. He was actually shocked when Chanyeol did not protest their marriage arrangement. Gripping on the balcony rail, Baekhyun pursed his lips, he was determined to get Chanyeol’s love back. This was his second chance and he was going to try his best for both of them. Loey agreed to this so that means something, right?

 

 

The sound of the door being shut, popped Baekhyun’s bubbles of thought. Shockingly staring at the closed door, Baekhyun blinked, the room was empty again.

 

 

_‘Did he just left without saying anything?’_

 

 

Pouting, Baekhyun walked inside the suite and sat on the king size bed. He roamed his palm on the bed surface and smiled.

 

 

“So fluffy,” he singsonged. He fished out his phone from his pant pocket and looked through his work schedule. Baekhyun almost forgot why he was here in the first place. His father wanted him to meet with their new branch manager for their tailor boutique in Jeju.

 

 

“Meeting in 3 o'clock,” he mumbled, glancing at his wristwatch. He winched when the sound of his stomach rumbled out loud. They have just arrived this afternoon plus he has missed his lunch and the fact that Chanyeol didn't even bothered to ask or showed his concern about it, hurt him. He huffed grumpily, pushing his hair back. He was not going to let Chanyeol squish every will to survive inside his mind. He must endure the pain.

 

 

“Chanyeol is a very busy man,” he muttered, coaxing himself as he rubbed his palm on his empty stomach. The sound of the doorbell startled him and he quickly got off the bed to look at the door.

 

 

_‘Did Chanyeol forget his roomkey?’_

 

 

“Room service,” A hotel worker greeted Baekhyun with a big smiles on his face.

 

 

“Mr. Byun Baekhyun? Your husband requested this for you,”

 

 

“H-husband?” Baekhyun stuttered, blinking at the hotel worker. He was so dumbfounded to be called someone’s husband.

 

 

“For me? But..I’m...not -”

 

 

“Yes, it's from Mr. Park Chanyeol,” the hotel worker grinned.

 

 

“Oh,” Baekhyun blushed, cheeks red like tomatoes. Still baffled by Chanyeol’s surprise, he let the hotel worker push the food trolley inside the suite. He waited for him to open the huge food cover and gasped. There was a lot of food on the tray and all the dishes were his favorite.

 

 

“Enjoy your food, sir,” the hotel worker bowed and smiled.

 

 

“Here is Mr. Park’s love letter for you,” he said while handing over a small card that he kept inside his pant’s pocket to Baekhyun.

 

 

Pursing his lip, Baekhyun grabbed the card and pressed it on his chest.

 

 

“T-Thank you,” he mumbled as he watched the hotel worker’s retreating back. Baekhyun’s heart was beating so fast when he looked at the small card. His fingers were trembling while opening it.

 

 

‘Breathe..breathe,’ he chanted to calm his raging heartbeat.

 

 

EAT

 

 

Baekhyun frowned. There were only three letters written on the card for him to read. At the corner of the card there was a phone number, Chanyeol’s phone number. Shaking his head, he laughed and kissed the small card repeatedly before shoving it inside his pant’s pocket.

 

 

_‘My sweet Loey, he’s there, hidden under grumpy Mr. Park. I just need to find him again,’_

 

 

\---

 

 

Baekhyun enjoyed the time that he spend with the new manager, Mr. Kim Junmyeon. He was a very sweet man who liked to smile and laughed at his silly jokes. Junmyeon was one of the talented tailors working in his father’s shop for years in Gangnam before he moved to Jeju.

 

 

“So, Mr. Baekhyun, what are you doing this evening?” Junmyeon asked, glancing at his wristwatch.

 

 

“Probably nothing?” Baekhyun laughed. “Do you want to take me to see the beautiful sunset in Jeju?” he cooed.

 

 

Smacking his lips, Junmyeon nodded. “ My boyfriend is taking some of his friends sightseeing on his new yacht, come and join us,”

 

 

“I…,” Baekhyun paused to look at his phone. He didn't know what to do with his free time that evening. He wanted to ask Chanyeol’s whereabouts since they separated that afternoon but he was afraid that he might interrupt Chanyeol with his work.

 

 

“Gosh, I’m sorry! how can I forget that you are here with your husband Mr. Park!” Junmyeon gasped.

 

 

“I’m sure he already plan something special for you tonight, Mr. Baekhyun, ” the tailor smirked.

 

 

Shaking his head, Baekhyun smiled. "Just call me Baekhyun,”

 

 

“Sure, Baekhyun,” Junmyeon replied with a big grin on his face. “You can call me Joon,”

 

 

“Joon,” Baekhyun repeated. “I’m coming with you to that party,”

 

 

\---

 

 

“You keep glancing at your phone, is everything alright?” Junmyeon asked as he drove their way to the docks.

 

 

“Have you contacted your husband? the line reception will be bad once the yacht started to sail,”

 

 

Smacking his lips, Baekhyun sighed. He was waiting for chanyeol to contact him first. Puffing his cheeks, Baekhyun shoved his phone inside his pant pocket. He will not let Chanyeol ruin his perfect day. He was too excited for his very first yacht ride.

 

 

They arrived at the docks after 30 minutes drive from Baekhyun’s hotel suite. Baekhyun beamed as he walked beside Junmyeon, enjoying the breathtaking view of the docks. There were so many beautiful yachts with their own names engraved at the side of their bodies there. He kept taking selfies and captured the scenery in pictures with his phone.

 

 

“You are excited for this, huh?” Junmyeon squinted as he wrapped his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder and hauled him towards a very beautiful yacht at the end of the docks.

 

 

“Sheep?” Baekhyun frowned as he read the yacht name. They were approaching towards the biggest and probably the most expensive yacht there.

 

 

Junmyeon laughed as he nodded and pulled Baekhyun to step inside the yacht. “What can I say, my boyfriend likes sheeps so much,”

 

 

“they are late,” Junmyeon pouted. “ We are going to miss the sunset,”

 

 

Smiling, Baekhyun rubbed Junmyeon's back. The breathtaking interior of the expensive yacht made him whistle. He was getting awestruck by ‘Sheep’ beauty. He startled when Junmyeon grabbed his wrist and tugged him further inside.

 

 

“We will wait for them inside, it’s hot out here,” Junmyeon winced and ushered Baekhyun into the heart of the yacht.

 

 

The glamorous interior design in the yacht made Baekhyun bedazzled again. The combination of white and gray colour made it looked so posh and spacious. “This is beautiful,” he smiled.

 

 

Junmyeon pulled Baekhyun to sit comfortably on the sofa. “Let's relax and wait here for a while, the waiter will send refreshments for us,” he winked.

 

 

Baekhyun was about to sip on his deep blue sea martini when he heard the sounds of many rusling footsteps on the yacht.

 

 

“They are here,” Junmyeon beamed. “lets go and greet them,”

 

 

Pouting, Baekhyun placed his martini glass on the coffee table and followed behind Junmyeon.

 

 

“Myeon, sorry I’m late,” A very handsome man with deep dimples on his cheeks greeted them.

 

 

“Xing,” Junmyeon beamed and pulled his boyfriend into his embrace.

 

 

“That’s okay,” he smiled and kissed his boyfriend’s cheek.

 

 

“Hai, I’m Yixing and I know who you are,” Yixing smiled and stretched out his hand towards Baekhyun, offering a handshake.

 

 

Baekhyun chuckled and gladly accepted Yixing’s handshake. He wanted to ask how Yixing knows his name but he assumed Joon must have told him about him earlier. He didn't know where to look when the couple in front of him started kissing and giggling while staring at each other’s faces. He could easily tell that they were so madly in love. Baekhyun could feel his cheeks getting red when their display of affection was getting a little too hot. Scratching the back of his head, he looked away.

 

 

“Can you guys at least let me through?”

 

 

A very deep voice saved Baekhyun’s awkward moment. The voice sounded so familiar. Shaking his head, he chuckled.

 

 

_‘I’m must be going crazy, now everyone’s voice sounds like Loey to me,’_ he sighed and lifted his head to look at the owner of that voice. His eyes grew twice its original size when he saw Park Chanyeol, his soon to be husband there.

 

 

“Chanyeol?” he gasped.

 

 

_‘Is this a dream?’_ he blinked, digging his blunt nails into the flesh of his arm. _‘It hurts,’_ Wincing in pain, he couldn't tear his gaze away. Chanyeol was standing in front of him with a frown on his face.

 

 

“Its hot,” Chanyeol grumbled, eyes not looking at Baekhyun.

 

 

Baekhyun felt a twinge in his heart at being ignored blatantly like that. Chanyeol didn't even acknowledged his presence and just walked passed him. He acted like Baekhyun was invisible.

 

 

“Surprise?” Yixing laughed and patted Baekhyun’s shoulder.

 

 

 


	8. Warm and cold

 

 

 

“W-what is he doing here?”

 

 

Baekhyun mumbled, eyeing at Chanyeol’s retreating back. His hands were getting cold, too dumbfounded by Yixing’s surprise.

 

 

“He’s one of my new friends. Myeon, remember when I told you that I wanted to buy that new customize car few months back? Chanyeol’s company is handling my order,” Yixing grinned.

 

 

“Oh, that’s why Mr. Park is here,” Junmyeon murmured. “Did he knew that he would meet Baekhyun here?”

 

 

“Yes, I told him about you. He knows that you are the new manager of Byun’s tailor boutique. He told me that his husband is going to meet with you today,”

 

 

 _‘Chanyeol acknowledges me as his husband,’_  Baekhyun thought, his heart bloomed with pride. Chanyeol even knows his work schedule. The anger that he felt earlier towards Chanyeol, was gone instantly.

 

 

“When you called and told me about your plan of bringing Baekhyun here, at that time Chanyeol was in the middle of thinking about my invitation. He said yes when he knew you were coming as well,” Yixing exclaimed. “Come in, let's wait for the others inside,”

 

 

“You’re blushing, Baekhyun. So you're happy with your husband’s surprise, huh?” Junmyeon teased, wiggling his eyebrows at Baekhyun. He wrapped his arm around Yixing’s waist and they walked together into the yacht.

 

 

“Chanyeol is not my husband, “ Baekhyun blushed “We...we are not married yet,”

 

 

Junmyeon wiggled his eyebrows at Baekhyun. “Well, he’s your soon-to-be husband,” he smiled.

 

\---

 

Baekhyun made sure he kept his distance from Chanyeol while he gulped his drinks down. As he didn't want to ruin Chanyeol’s mood to risk getting thrown into the sea by him considering the fact that he was not good at swimming and didn't know how his body would react to it, so he decided to be extra careful. Chanyeol was smiling, happily clinking his glass with his friends as he was a social butterfly while Byun Baekhyun sucked at making friends. Besides, this was his first time riding through water transportation.

 

 

He started to feel tipsy and drowsy when the yacht started to sail. Whimpering, he closed his eyes to stop the dizziness that he felt inside his head. His stomach churned in a weird way when the yacht started rocking. He was glad that Yixing’s yacht was expensive and big so they didn't feel any rough movement while they were sailing in the sea.

 

 

“Chanyeol, where is Kris? You and that handsome boyfriend of yours are inseparable,”

 

 

“Congratulation on your marriage man, so where is Kris? I want to personally congratulate him,”

 

 

Baekhyun choked on his drink and it spilled on his shirt. Groaning, he tried to wipe the wet stain with his hand. His eyes met with Chanyeol’s for a brief second before he quickly looked away.

 

 

“I’m alright, Just going to pretend I didn't hear that,” he muttered under his breath, coaxing his stinging heart. Cringing at the wet patches on his clothes, he sighed and placed his glass on the table.

 

 

_‘I need fresh air,’_

 

 

Puffing his cheeks, Baekhyun got off from the sofa. He couldn't stay near Chanyeol and his bubbly friends any longer. His body shivered when the cold air that night hit his body once he stepped out from inside the yacht. While he tried to steady his wobbly legs, he carefully walked towards the edge of the yacht. He chose the darker spot on the yacht to hide from everyone. His socializing skills were terrible and he didn't want to further embarrass himself or Chanyeol. He hummed when the wind pushed his hairs back as the yacht steadily sailed through the sea. Gripping on the yacht’s rail, his eyes darted at the moon.

 

 

“Mr. Moon is beautiful tonight,”

 

 

He mumbled, mesmerized by the moon’s bright light. Sighing, with one hand gripping on the rail, he pulled out the small card that he received from Chanyeol earlier that day. Reading it again made him smile. Suddenly a ripple of big wave hit the yacht, making it bump with the sea surface which made Baekhyun drop Chanyeol’s card on the floor.

 

 

“Oh god, where is it?” he gasped while frantically searching for it. He whined when his sudden movement made his head spin that he had to sit on the yacht floor to regain his balance.

 

 

“Oh hey, are you alright?”

 

 

Baekhyun flinched when someone rubbed his back. “I’m ok,” He smiled.

 

 

“Come, let me help you up,” the handsome man put his hands around Baekhyun’s waist and pulled him to stand up. “Your pant is wet, what are you doing all alone here?”

 

 

Baekhyun huffed as he grabbed the rail again to help himself. His body felt so light as if he was flying, maybe because of the drinks and his seasickness condition. Whimpering, he scooted closer to the man who was standing beside him and clutched on his arm. He didn't want to lose his balance and fell again on the hard floor. He could feel his face burning when his spontaneous act made the man laughed.

 

 

“I’m Changmin, Yixing’s cousin,”

 

 

Pursing his lips, Baekhyun nodded, too dizzy to reply. Whimpering, he felt cold sweat starting to form on his forehead. He wanted the trip to end now. He suddenly remembered how fluffy the king size bed inside his suite felt.

 

 

“ls this the first time you have been on a yacht?”

 

 

Baekhyun nodded again. He knew that he was being rude but he was afraid that he would puke on Changmin’s expensive suit. Changmin’s strong perfume made Baekhyun’s dizziness worse.

 

 

“Can you even walk?” Changmin asked with concern.

 

 

“I’m ok, just don’t want to get inside there again, it’s stuffy,” Baekhyun answered.

 

 

“Stuffy? You are cute,” Changmin chuckled and helped to swipe Baekhyun’s long bangs away from his forehead. “Are you on vacation here? It’s the first time I've seen you here,”

 

 

“I’m on my business trip,” Baekhyun murmured.

 

 

“Oh, do you have time after this? I can take you on a tour, it’ll be Changmin’s private tour,” Changmin smiled and wrapped his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder. “If you like spending time on a yacht so much, I have one at the docks, we can spend some private time there, just the two of us,” he suggested.

 

 

The sudden invitation made Baekhyun’s body shuddered. Changmin’s hot breath tickling on his neck sent chills down to his spine. The smell of the strong alcohol from the man’s breath made Baekhyun’s nose scrunched in a distasteful manner. He had to remain clung to the man’s arm because if he let him go, he would fall on the hard floor again or in the sea. The falling impact was painful before and he didn't want to experience it again. Shaking his head, Baekhyun declined Changmin’s invitation politely. He flinched when Changmin pulled him into his embrace. “Are you alright, Mr. Changmin?”

 

 

Chuckling, Changmin pinched his temple. “A little tipsy, that's all,” he said while resting his chin on Baekhyun’s head. “You are so adorable, and smell good too,” he cooed.

 

 

“T-thank you?” Baekhyun flushed as he tried to push Changmin away. “Let’s walk together inside, you need to sit down,” he huffed, struggling to squirm away from Changmin’s long arms.

 

 

“I don’t see any ring on your fingers so you are not with someone, right? Someone said that there is a guy on this yacht who is a married man,” Changmin squinted while grabbing Baekhyun’s fingers.

 

 

“He is a married man,”

 

 

Baekhyun gasped in shock when someone’s hand was on his waist, pulling him away from Changmin’s hug. The faint smell of coffee made his breath hitched.

 

 

 _‘_   _Chanyeol,’_

 

 

He squeaked when Chanyeol pulled him in his arms, pressing his face into his hard chest and held his body tightly to his own. Baekhyun kept his face pressed as his face was burning from embarrassment. He was too embarrassed to even look into Chanyeol’s eyes. He could hear some of Changmin’s friends helped to walk tipsy Changmin inside the yacht.

 

 

Biting his lower lip, Baekhyun refused to lift up his face. His pants were wet and there were dry patches of blue drink on his white dress shirt. He looked pitiful.

 

 

Chanyeol leaned back while resting his butt on one of the rails. He opened his legs wide to accommodate Baekhyun who was standing between them. “Come closer,” he said. “You need to hold on to me or both of us will fall into the sea,”

 

 

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol’s serious face for a while, blinking as he tried to process what was happening. Seeing Chanyeol starting to frown, he rushed to wrap his arms around Chanyeol’s waist, pulling him into his embrace. He could feel Chanyeol’s steady heartbeat thumping against his red cheek. He hummed when Chanyeol draped his outer layer of suit over his trembling body. Nuzzling his nose in Chanyeol’s torso, Baekhyun smiled.

 

 

“What are you doing all alone here? What if you fell into the sea? No one will notice that you are gone and you’ll turn into a sea monster,”

 

 

Snorting, Baekhyun closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip to refrain himself from talking back. How dare he called him sea monster? Arguing with Chanyeol while he was battling with his motion sickness was not a very good idea.

 

 

_‘Don't get angry, just swallow it, Baekhyun,’_

 

 

He flinched when Chanyeol pastes something on the back of his ear. “This is motion sickness patch, you were supposed to wear it at least three hours before you got onto this yacht,”

 

 

“It’s too late,” Baekhyun mumbled.

 

 

“Don't you dare puke on me,” Chanyeol warned as he rubbed Baekhyun's back with his palm.

 

 

Chanyeol’s words were hurtful but his actions were not. He treated Baekhyun gently, with care. His caring act made Baekhyun flustered.

 

 

_‘My gentle Loey, you are back, I miss you,'_

 

 

He felt a sharp pang in his heart and his eyes brimmed with tears. Sniffling, Baekhyun rubbed his watery face on Chanyeol’s clothes.

 

 

“We will arrive at the shore in about 30 minutes, Can you hold yourself together for that long?” Chanyeol asked. “Or do you want to get inside?”

 

 

Shaking his head vigorously, Baekhyun sighed. “Inside is stuffy, I can’t breath,” he huffed.

 

 

“Alright, wannabe sea monster,” Chanyeol snorted.

 

 

Baekhyun drifted to sleep in Chanyeol’s chest. He jolted in shock, wide awakening when he felt something cold around his neck.

 

 

_‘A necklace?’_

 

 

he squinted, trying to look at the necklace carefully. There was a beautiful ring attached to the necklace. He noticed that Chanyeol was wearing the same necklace too.

 

 

“Is this…,” he rasped, holding onto the ring in his palm. The ring sparkled beautifully under the moonlight.

 

 

“Our engagement ring,” Chanyeol mumbled.

 

 

“Why...why we didn't wear it?” Baekhyun asked, glancing on his empty ring finger and back at Chanyeol’s eyes. He would love to be marked and sealed as someone’s fiance, Chanyeol's future husband. His breath hitched when Chanyeol stared right back into his eyes.

 

 

“Are you ready to wear it, Byun Baekhyun?”

 

 

Baekhyun nodded, hand still gripping on the ring and eyes locked in on Chanyeol’s. He was so determined. “I’m ready,” he muttered.

 

 

“Well, I’m not,”

 

 

 


	9. Fixing us

 

 

Closing his eyes, Baekhyun tightened his grip around Chanyeol's waist and pressed his face in his future husband’s chest. He could hear Chanyeol’s honest words loud and clear. It crushed his small heart but he chose not to get affected by it.

 

 

Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol was telling him the truth. He had not forgiven him yet and was still badly hurt because of their bad breakup. Baekhyun knew that he needed to work hard to earn his forgiveness. But for now, he was happy when Chanyeol let him hug him without trying to push him away.

 

 

Sighing in pure bliss, he smiled while nuzzling his nose on Chanyeol’s hard chest. Maybe because he was too over the moon that he got to hear Chanyeol’s heartbeat again that he cried. He loved hugging Chanyeol, it was his one the most favorite things to do when they were lovers. Chanyeol would let him hug him like this and they would keep on talking about their busy day until Baekhyun fell asleep, face snuggly pressed against his body. Chanyeol’s body warmth and the calming vibration that he felt on his cheek when Chanyeol talked, lulled Baekhyun to sleep.

 

 

“We will be arriving soon,”

 

 

A soft brush on his head woke Baekhyun up from his nap. Groggily trying to stand on his own, Baekhyun staggered as he released Chanyeol from his embrace. He shrieked when Chanyeol pulled him back into his arms.

 

 

“Where do you think you are going? Stay still or else you’ll fall,”

 

 

“But you said..,” Baekhyun pouted when Chanyeol squashed his face harder into his chest to stop him from finishing his sentence. With face pressed against Chanyeol’s chest, he huffed but didn't try to squirm away instead he continued to snuggle closer. He hummed in delight when Chanyeol’s palm roamed on his back, giving him some warmth that he needs.

 

 

“Okay honeymoon couple, we have arrived. You can now let Baekhyun go, Chanyeol,” Yixing smirked.

 

 

Embarrassed to be caught still hugging Chanyeol when they arrived, Baekhyun quickly freed himself from his fiance’s arms and awkwardly tried to give his best smile at Yixing and Junmyeon.

 

 

“You look pale,” Junmyeon said as he patted Baekhyun’s cheek.

 

 

“I’m alright,” Baekhyun smiled. He gasped in surprise when he felt Chanyeol’s arm wrapped securely around his waist, supporting his wobbly body.

 

 

“T-thank you,” he murmured, blushing profusely while trying to lean on Chanyeol’s side.

 

 

\---

 

 

Baekhyun was glad the moment his legs touched the ground. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and felt that his body was swaying like he was still inside the yacht. He didn't say anything when his fiance left him alone at the dock. Chanyeol helped him a lot that night and Baekhyun felt he was being such a burden to him as he blamed himself for ruining Chanyeol’s great night with his friends. Meanwhile, he tried to fish out his handphone from inside his pant pocket but jumped in shock when someone patted on his back.

 

 

“C-Changmin?” he squinted.

 

 

Changmin chuckled. “You remembered my name?”

 

 

Baekhyun nodded. He stepped back when Changmin leaned closer to whisper something in his ear.

 

 

“Let me take you back to your hotel. Your husband seems like a very busy man,” Changmin smirked and wrapped his arm around Baekhyun’s waist.

 

 

Flustered by Changmin’s touchiness, Baekhyun shook his head as he tried to reject Changmin’s offer as politely as possible. After his effort to avoid Changmin’s help failed, he gave up and let the man put his arm around him. His head felt so heavy and he couldn't even walk without stumbling onto the ground, Changmin’s offer was hard to resist as Baekhyun knew that he was not at least going to spend his night here at the dock so he accepted his offer.

 

 

While they were walking, Baekhyun gasped when someone pulled him away from Changmin’s arm. Staggering, he quickly hugged the nearest lamp pole that he could see to help steady his wobbly body.

 

 

“Thank you, Changmin, I’ll take it from here,”

 

 

“I thought...you already left,” Baekhyun pouted, eyes cast down on his shoes. He lifted his head to look at Changmin’s retreating back. That's when his eyes met with Chanyeol’s and he quickly tore his gaze away. Baekhyun’s face was burning when he remembered their hug a few moments back on the yacht.

 

 

“Let’s go,” Chanyeol said nonchalantly as he walked towards his car.

 

 

“Okay,” Baekhyun huffed and rushed to follow behind Chanyeol. He struggled to walk in a straight line. Few glasses of a blue martini made him a little tipsy. He squeaked when his face landed on Chanyeol’s back when the later stopped abruptly. Holding on his squashed nose with his palm, he bowed panicky at Chanyeol.

 

 

“S-sorry, I didn't mean to...I was trying to catch up,”

 

 

“Can you even walk properly?” Chanyeol asked with knitted eyebrows.

 

 

Puffing his red cheeks, Baekhyun slowly backed away from Chanyeol, creating some distance between them. He kept on blinking when the strong wind messed up his hairs. He could not even see Chanyeol’s handsome face properly.

 

 

“You’re very slow,” Chanyeol complained and carried Baekhyun piggyback style on his back.

 

 

Baekhyun’s heart thumped like crazy inside his chest. He knew it was beating so strong against Chanyeol’s back. He blushed when his lips accidentally landed on the skin of Chanyeol’s neck.

 

 

“Sorry,” he muffled while wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s neck as he got himself comfortable on his fiance’s broad back.

 

 

“Stop saying you’re sorry,” Chanyeol snapped. “Your sorry can’t fix everything,”

 

 

Biting his lower lip, Baekhyun huffed and pressed his face on Chanyeol shoulder. “Yes it can...if you could just -,” he paused when Chanyeol stopped walking.

 

 

“If what, Byun Baekhyun?” Chanyeol scoffed, side-eyeing Baekhyun.

 

 

Sniffling, Baekhyun nuzzled his face in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck. “If you could just accept my sincere apology and let me fix it...let me fix us,” he whimpered. His heart twinged when Chanyeol continued to walk and did not give him any reply. The wind kept blowing his hairs from his face and making him sleepy. Yawning, Baekhyun could feel his eyes were getting heavy.

 

 

_‘Eh, why there’s two Chanyeollie,’_

 

 

“Look inside my suit pocket,” Chanyeol stated, eyes not looking at Baekhyun.

 

 

“Huh?” Baekhyun struggled to open his eyes but his hands roamed into the said spot. Chanyeol softly groaned when he accidentally smacked their cheeks together, making his heart skip a beat. He wanted to apologize but stopped when he remembered how Chanyeol didn't like hearing those words again.

 

 

“Teeny weeny!” he squealed in delight as he pulled the small card out that Chanyeol’s gave him that morning inside from the suit’s pocket. He was so frustrated thinking that he lost it on the yacht.

 

 

“You almost turned into a sea monster for your...your teeny weeny,” Chanyeol chided. He froze when Baekhyun kissed his cheek.

 

 

“Thank you for saving teeny weeny,” Baekhyun smiled and smooched Chanyeol’s red ear. Humming in joy, he shoved the small precious card into his pant pocket and burrowed his face in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck.

 

 

Groaning, Chanyeol gently pushed Baekhyun’s face with his head. Shaking his head, he grumbled. “You even gave it a name. You and your habit of naming everything that you own will never change, I think,”

 

 

Baekhyun nodded enthusiastically, yawning again for the umpteen times on Chanyeol’s shoulder. “My heart...my heart would never change,”

 

 

Chanyeol scoffed, unamused.

 

 

“My past, present, and future have only you in it,” Baekhyun whispered.

 

 

“You are drunk. You should have said no when they kept passing those drinks to you,” Chanyeol huffed while trying to balance wriggly Baekhyun on his back.

 

 

“I’m not drunk!” Baekhyun hiccuped.

 

 

“I’m telling you the truth!” he slurred, fighting the urge to close his heavy eyelids so bad.

 

 

“I’m just….sleepy,” he whined, rubbing his watery eyes on Chanyeol’s clothes.

 

 

“hey, sea monster,”

 

 

“u..huh?” Baekhyun stuttered, trying his best to listen to Chanyeol’s words.

 

 

“ Don’t do that again,”

 

 

Yawning, Baekhyun burrowed his face into the crook of Chanyeol’s neck and slowly drifted to sleep.

 

 

Chanyeol sighed and pressed the side of his face against Baekhyun’s hairs. “Don’t risk your life like that again. I don't want to lose you twice,”

 

 

\---

 

 

Baekhyun wished that he could have just fainted right there and didn't wake up until the next morning because he couldn't handle the tension between him and Chanyeol when they arrived at their suite that night. The atmosphere between them screamed pure awkwardness.

 

 

He blushed while thinking that this would be their first time spending the night together as adults. Chanyeol had slept with him countless times before when they were little. Cuddling to sleep was their favorite thing to do when they were lovers. Being in love at the age of sixteen, they were too shy around each other. They were still learning to express their love but they didn't do anything else but kissing. They never even saw each other’s naked bodies. He whined when his face hit Chanyeol’s back. Biting his bottom lip, Baekhyun could only stare at Chanyeol’s wide eyes that were scowling at him. He ducked his head down to avoid Chanyeol’s judging stare as he waited for him to open their suite’s door.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Cicada! Cicada!”

 

 

Baekhyun screamed. He was about to unbutton his dress shirt when he saw a green cicada relaxing on his pants that he had placed on the bathroom’s countertop. He was so scared of insects and he hated them so much that he would do anything to avoid any sort of contact with them. That’s why he would rather run out from his bathroom pantless than being in the same room with the cicada.

 

 

“What the hell, Byun Baekhyun?” Chanyeol gasped when Baekhyun came rushing towards him while screaming at the top of his lungs with teary eyes. Chanyeol was still in his towel, half-naked when Baekhyun gripped the hem of the towel on his waist.

 

 

“Ci...cicada in the bathroom, Loey,” Baekhyun stammered.

 

 

Snorting, Chanyeol jutted his lip toward the balcony. “You left the sliding door open, its summer and Jeju have so many species of insects lurking all over this island,”

 

 

“L-Lurking?” Baekhyun stuttered, silently cursing at his mistake. He had no one to blame but himself for this. His eyes widely searched all over the room to look for any other bug. How could he sleep peacefully tonight? He blushed when Chanyeol pulled his towel away from his grabby hands. He was not thinking straight when he emerged from the bathroom. He was too scared to even think about his clothes. He looked at his body and gasped. He was pantless himself and was only wearing his blue-stained dress shirt with few of its buttons undone, he looked pathetic rather than sexy.

 

 

Huffing, he stepped away from Chanyeol and pointed at the bathroom. “Please help me swat that ugly cicada away from the bathroom,”

 

 

“Why would I help you?” Chanyeol snorted and continued to rummage through his wardrobe.

 

 

“Cause I said please?” Baekhyun mumbled, cheeks turning dusty pink when their eyes met. He got frustrated when Chanyeol didn't even move from his spot. After waiting for a while, he finally realized that the half-naked man was not going to help him with his bug crises.

 

 

_‘Fine, I’ll do it myself,’_

 

 

Gulping his saliva, he stomped into the bathroom again. Holding on to a small face towel in his right hand, he was ready to swat the bug and kill it if he had to. He carefully watched every move that the cicada made. He could feel the hair on his nape and arm stood up.

 

 

_‘Shit, I can’t do this,’_

 

 

Stomping out from the bathroom, Baekhyun groaned in frustration again. He slumped his body on the one seater couch at the corner of the suite to sulk.

 

 

_‘You win, cicada,’_  He pouted, glaring at the bathroom. Closing his eyes, he snuggled into the couch, trying to sleep. He was so mad at the cicada and himself. He peeked at Chanyeol who was already in his pajamas, reading something on the bed and totally ignoring his existence inside the same room.

 

 

_‘Seems like Chanyeol and cicada are best buddies, they both are cruel,’_

 

 

Heartbroken and upset, Baekhyun puffed his cheeks and got up to change his clothes. He gave up on going into the bathroom. Maybe wearing something clean and fresh could get his mind off from thinking about those nasty creatures. He was tired and sleepy. Groggily fixing his messy hairs, he walked towards his luggage bag.

 

 

Baekhyun was in the middle of finding his clothes when a loud sound of another angry cicada blared out from his luggage bag. Screaming in horror, he scrambled to get far away from the area.

 

 

“The...the cicada is getting angry at me, Loey, I didn't...didn't do anything to it!” Baekhyun cried as he jumped on the bed. Heaving breathlessly, he palmed his chest to calm his rapidly beating heart down.

 

 

“So you are going to wear these dirty clothes to sleep rather than changing into new ones?” Chanyeol said as he shook his head.

 

 

Smacking his lips, Baekhyun rolled his eyes. Chanyeol’s judging face annoyed him. “Y-yes,” He answered curtly.

 

 

“Cicadas love sweat,” Chanyeol said nonchalantly as he flipped the pages of his book.

 

 

Chanyeol’s statement made Baekhyun’s eyes grew wider than its original size. It sounded like a lie first but looking at his fiance’s serious face while saying it, made it believable. Sniffing his body, his nose scrunched.

 

 

“I smell fine, I’m not sweating,” he shrugged, still stubborn to budge from his spot on the end of the bed.

 

 

“Well, good night, sea monster,” Chanyeol scoffed and snuggled into his thick blanket. “Turn off the light after saying goodnight to Mr cicadas,”

 

 

Groaning in frustration, Baekhyun crossed his arms over his chest. “Good night, Loey,” He whispered. Sighing heavily, he tucked his hand under his chin as he stared at sleeping Chanyeol.

 

 

_‘This is going to be a long and boring night,’_

 

  
  



	10. Skimkoong

 

 

Baekhyun didn't realize that he had fallen asleep whilst sitting on the bed until he felt a gentle pat on his head, causing him to stir awake. He kept on blinking the blurriness away until he was welcomed with the view of Chanyeol’s face staring at him with concern.

  


“How long you are going to sleep like this Button?” Chanyeol asked with his deep, raspy voice.

  


_‘Is this a dream?’_ Baekhyun thought. Biting his bottom lip, he slowly leaned toward Chanyeol’s rough palm that was stroking his cheek. Loey’s tender touches, oh how he missed those touches so very much. Too overwhelmed with his fiancé’s gentle care, Baekhyun could feel tears started to brim in his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to answer him back.

  


“Do you really hate those cicadas that much?” Chanyeol sighed, scooting closer until their knees were pressed against each other’s.

  


Nodding meekly, Baekhyun yawned. “Bad cicadas,” he whined, pointing in the direction of one of the cicadas’ whereabouts. He gasped in utter shock when Chanyeol suddenly tugged his wrist, pulling him out from their bed.

  


“No, I’m not going near it,” He cried in devastation, refusing to budge from his safe spot on the mattress. “Please don’t force me,”

  


“Okay, okay, calm down,” Chanyeol cooed while rubbing Baekhyun’s back with his palm to comfort him. “I’m going to be next to you. You can just hold onto me if you’re scared, alright?”

  


“Fine,” Baekhyun groaned as he apprehensively scooted toward the edge of the bed, following Chanyeol from behind. With his face flushing a deep shade of red, he wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s waist, back hugging his fiancé as they timidly approached his luggage bag.

  


“Where is it?” Chanyeol huffed, eyes set on searching for the guilty bug.

  


“Wait, use this to swat it,” Baekhyun suggested as he slipped out from one of his pink slippers and handed it to Chanyeol.

  


Winking playfully at Chanyeol, he jutted his lip toward the cicada’s direction on his luggage bag. “Good luck,”

  


Chanyeol paused in his steps when Baekhyun tightened his grip around his waist a tad bit too strong as they were approaching closer. “Stop squeezing me to death, I need to breathe,” he complained.

  


Smiling sheepishly, Baekhyun loosened the grip of his arms. He was glad that Chanyeol didn't push him away though. “Sorry?” he squinted.

  


Scoffing, Chanyeol shook his head. “Sorry -,”

  


“I know, I know...my sorry can’t fix things,” Baekhyun mumbled sulkily. “Can you please stop nagging at me and just kill that goddamn bug now, I’m so tired and I want to sleep,” He huffed in annoyance. He froze when Chanyeol glared down at him.

  


“For a person that was trying to get someone’s help, aren't you being too bossy right now, Byun Baekhyun?”  Chanyeol chided.

  


“Please Loey?” Baekhyun begged, blinking up bashfully at Chanyeol, with his pouty-lips-plus-pleading-puppy-eyes-combo™ in full blast. He tiptoed to press his lips lightly on Chanyeol’s nape. It was purely a spontaneous act, since that was the only solution he knew in order to calm an upset Chanyeol. Well, in his defense, it used to help, back then when they were still lovers. Noticing how big Chanyeol’s eyes had turned into, gawking widely at him right now, the tailor gasped in alarm. Oh boy, he had crossed the line again, right?

  


Chanyeol’s face turned scarlet when Baekhyun lightly kissed his nape. Both of them jumped in stupefaction when the cicada started to make the annoyingly loud noises again. Chanyeol shrieked when Baekhyun instantly grabbed his shirt and hauled him outside, into the balcony area.

  


“The cicada is going crazy right?” Baekhyun shouted, eyes staring wide in terror at Chanyeol. He was still back hugging Chanyeol tightly and refused to let him go. Suppressing his laughter, he pointed at his slipper that he now found lying lifelessly on the bed. He recalled giving Chanyeol his slipper earlier to help him swat the cicada.  

 

“You threw my slipper on the bed! You must be so shocked too,” He gasped in horror. “I told you they are scary!”   

 

Both of them broke into laughter once their eyes met. Baekhyun couldn't stop giggling that he had to press his face into Chanyeol’s back. He didn't want to make Chanyeol upset any further.  

  


“Are you laughing at me, Button?” Chanyeol groaned. “Come here,” he pushed Baekhyun away from his back and made him face him. Placing his palms on Baekhyun’s soft, fluffy cheeks, he pulled him closer.

  


Shaking his head vigorously, Baekhyun could feel his face flaming when Chanyeol’s warm breath fanned his nose. Their faces were awfully close at the moment that their noses were almost bumping. Mustering his courage, he tiptoed gingerly and pressed their lips together. He pulled away when he didn't receive any response from Chanyeol, it was such an embarrassing moment for him. But he didn't actually bother to care, he was getting too comfortable with Loey. Placing his palm to cradle Chanyeol’s cheeks, Baekhyun smiled heartily.

  


“Loey...baby, I miss your smile, I miss your dimple,” he said with ruby tinted cheeks. Chanyeol’s eyes were fixed on him. There were no signs of hatred in those two mesmerizing brown orbs, but Baekhyun could see flashes of doubt, he knew that Chanyeol was afraid to get hurt again. Pursing his lip, Baekhyun caressed Chanyeol’s cheeks delicately with his thumbs.

  


Scoffing, Chanyeol shook his head and stepped away from Baekhyun. He left Baekhyun alone in the balcony and walked toward his luggage bag. After a while, he came back and threw his shirt at Baekhyun. “Wear my shirt to sleep, it's pretty late now to have a battle with the cicadas and I’m totally exhausted, you are draining me down,”

  


Holding tightly onto Chanyeol’s shirt, Baekhyun puffed his cheeks as he watched Chanyeol’s retreating back. He honestly had no idea know how much longer he could put up with Chanyeol’s push and pull game. He was seriously driving him crazy. One minute Chanyeol was staring at him full of love, as if he was the center of his world and then barely a second later, he pushed him away coldly like Baekhyun’s some sort of a plague.

  


_‘Both of us are really getting insane,’_

  


“I’m tired too Park Chanyeol, but I’m not giving up,” Baekhyun pouted and stomped toward the corner of the room to change his outfits. He was so not going to enter the bathroom. The cicadas were everywhere inside the suite.

  


“I’m going to change here! Don't peek!” he announced, eyes staring warily at Chanyeol that was already lying spread eagle on the bed, playing with his phone.

  


“As if you even got anything to be stared at,” Chanyeol snorted brusquely and shifted his body to look away.

  


“Oh..you don't know me, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun scoffed. “I have a lot to offer,” he smiled smugly and continued to shed out from his dirty clothes. By the time Baekhyun finished changing, Chanyeol had already drifted off into unconsciousness.

  


“I’m truly sorry for tiring you down,” he mumbled and slowly got on the bed. Carefully lying down beside Chanyeol, Baekhyun hummed in content when his head touched the fluffy pillow. Curving his petite body into a ball, he scooted closer to Chanyeol that was sleeping back facing him. The room felt ice-cold so Chanyeol’s body warmth was very much essential.   

  


_‘What if the cicadas flew over here?’_ he gasped in horror whilst thinking about it. Great, now Baekhyun couldn't sleep, he kept tossing and squirming around on the bed.

  


“Can you just...stay still, Button?” Chanyeol groused grumpily.

  


Chanyeol’s thick raspy voice startled Baekhyun, whom currently was so busy scanning all over the room in panic. “What if the cicadas flew over here? What if one of them fell on me while I’m sleeping Loey?” he whispered as if he was afraid that the bugs might heard him and did exactly what he feared.

  


“Oh God, not the cicadas again,” Chanyeol whined in frustration and pressed an arm over his eyes. “If I let you hold my hand, would you stop wiggling and go to sleep?” he suggested. Without waiting for Baekhyun to utter any reply, Chanyeol roamed his hand searchingly on the mattress and grabbed Baekhyun’s freezing fingers.

  


Baekhyun’s heart stopped beating when Chanyeol clasped their hands together. He couldn't breathe. He was stunned while staring at their intertwining fingers. His entire body was spazzing with tingling sensations when Chanyeol squeezed his hand.

  


“Sleep, Button,”

 

\---

 

A week passed after their short getaway. Baekhyun tucked his hand under his chin as he gazed blankly at the bread shop from his workroom’s window, mind plummeting deep in thoughts. They hadn’t been making any progress ever since the trip ended, even more so when they never really saw each other. He did try sending Chanyeol text messages but of course the grumpy man undoubtedly never once replied, so he eventually gave up.

 

The familiar sound of kids giggling, running outside in the hallway made his somber face crack a smile. “The twins are here,” he stood up and started stretching out his weary body.

 

“Bae uncle!” the kids screamed and ran excitedly into their uncle’s workroom.

 

“Hello my little angels,” Baekhyun cooed and welcomed them into his hug. “Come here let me kiss both of you,” he beamed and placed loud smooches on both Baekhoo’s and Baekhee’s cheeks. He laughed when the twins whined in despair while trying to squirm out of his tight embrace.

 

Wiping her wet cheek, Baekhee snorted and fixed her long hair. “You can kiss me but please don’t ruin my perfect ponytail,” she pouted and slumped her small body on the couch.

 

“Sorry, Princess,” Baekhyun smiled and carried Baekhoo to sit beside his sister. “Okay, so what are we going to do right now?” he asked. The tailor was nervous, this was going to be the first time he babysits the twins.  

 

Baekhee patted her uncle’s cheek reassuringly. “Don't you worry about us, just continue your work, we also have homework to do,”

 

“Oh? Of course, you can finish your work, I’m just going to sit here,” Baekhyun awkwardly stepped back toward his working table and sat on his chair. With hand tucked under his chin, Baekhyun yawned as he scribbled lazily on his sketchbook.

 

“Bae uncle, are you being lazy?” Baekhee squinted.

 

“I’m hungry,” Baekhyun whined and planted his face on the table. He saw the twins’ eyebrows furrowed while looking at him.

 

Baekhee got up and padded over to the phone on Baekhyun's work table. Dialing someone’s number, she hummed her favourite song as she waited for the caller to pick up.

 

“Hello, Pa?” the little girl pouted. “Pa, your husband is hungry, can you please come and give him some food?”

 

“Your husband can’t do any work because he’s hungry!” Baekhoo yelled from over his spot on the couch.

 

“P-Pa?” Baekhyun stammered. _‘Is that Chanyeol?’_ He immediately lifted his head up as he stared at Baekhee’s happy face. The little girl was smiling so wide while talking to her ‘Pa’ on the phone.

 

Nodding enthusiastically as if Chanyeol could actually see her over the phone, Baekhee grinned. “Okay Pa, we are going to look after him, don't worry. Love you, Pa,” She giggled and ended the phone conversation before running back toward the couch.

 

“Excuse me?” Baekhyun huffed. “I’m the one babysitting you guys, not vice-versa,” he sassily rolled his eyes. “Why did you call me your Pa’s husband?”

 

Baekhoo gasped and placed his small palm on his wide opened mouth. “But you are going to get married to Pa right?”  

 

“You and your exaggerating acts,” Baekhyun chuckled.

 

“Pa said you are his husband,” Baekhee stated a matter-of-factly and resumed to colour her book, leaving no room for any further arguments.

 

“I am?” Baekhyun gasped in disbelief while pointing at his face. Seeing how confused the twins looked as they stared at him with their big eyes, he quickly shook his head. “I mean..I am his husband,” he blushed.

 

“You confusing me Bae uncle,” Baekhoo huffed. “I nearly thought that you didn't love my Pa,”

 

“I love him so much, Angel,” Baekhyun smiled. “Hey Princess, thank you...,” he flushed. “For calling him here,”

 

Scrunching her nose, Baekhee beamed while flipping her hair back. “You are welcome Bae uncle,” she winked playfully.

 

\---

 

Chanyeol arrived fifteen minutes later carrying a lunch pack in his hand. For the umpteenth time, Baekhyun became awestruck again.

 

_‘You always looks so handsome in a suit,’_

 

Baekhyun mentally praised his soon to be husband’s good looks. Loey in his work suit completed with his pushed back hair always made Baekhyun weak in the knees. He missed the warm and comfy Loey in his baggy sweatshirts but who in their right minds would refuse a Park Chanyeol in a suit? Damn, the guy looked drop dead gorgeous in it that one could even say he’s the reincarnation of Adonis. What an absolutely majestic sight to behold.

 

Clearing his throat, Baekhyun waved his hand awkwardly at Chanyeol. “H-hi?” he stammered and blushed when he received a slight nod of acknowledgment from the latter.

 

The twins came running from behind him and welcomed their Pa with huge smiles marring their faces.

 

“Hello my little stars,” Chanyeol smiled while gathering the twins in his long arms and kissed their heads lovingly.

 

“I’m glad you came Pa, Bae uncle can’t finish his work because he’s too hungry,” Baekhee stated and pulled Chanyeol to walk further into the room.

 

With blushing red face, Baekhyun grabbed the lunch pack from Chanyeol’s hand. “Thank you Chanyeol,” he smiled and froze. He swore he could see a minuscule smile threatening to form on Chanyeol’s lips but when he blinked, it was gone into thin air. But at least on the positive side, Chanyeol began giving him a proper response. He would take that for now. Baekhyun was so elated that he almost lost the grip on the foods in his hands.

 

They began eating after settling the foods on Baekhyun’s worktable. They sat facing each other while the twins sat on their laps. Baekhyun was enjoying his fried rice when he saw a sauce stain smearing out at the corner of Chanyeol’s lips. The man was so focused on looking after the kids that he didn’t realize it. He was getting ready to wipe the kids' oily mouths by holding clean tissues in his hand.

 

Baekhyun’s right hand involuntarily reached toward Chanyeol’s face and wiped the stain with his thumb. He then brought his thumb to his mouth, licking it clean. He froze when he noticed the stare that he got from the others at the table. _‘Oh shit, I crossed the line again,’_ he gasped.

 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized while nervously peeking at Chanyeol’s dumbfounded face. “Sorry...I’m sorry for saying sorry, Oh God..I’m sorry,” he rambled, pushing his hair back to lessen the tension that he suddenly felt surging all over his body.

 

Baekhee’s eyebrows knitted as she patted her uncle's arm. “Why do you keep saying that you're sorry? You didn't even do anything wrong?”  

 

“Bae uncle just wanted to help,” She stated. “Are you mad at him, Pa?”

 

“No,” Chanyeol answered nonchalantly and continued to munch on his food.

 

“You look like a cat when you lick your fingers Bae uncle,” Baekhoo giggled. “Mommy said I look like you when you were little,” he frowned while trying to remember his mom’s words. “I have your big monkey ears and chubby cheeks,”

 

“She called me baby monkey when I was at your age,” Baekhyun scowled and rubbed his ears. Suddenly feeling self-conscious about his large ears, he looked at his nephew's face. “Is..is that a bad thing?”

 

Shaking his head, Baekhoo beamed. “Pa said he likes your big ears, so I like them too,” he cooed.

 

Flustered by the unexpected information, Baekhyun blushed tomato red and cupped his red ears under his palms. “I...I like your Pa’s ears too,”

 

“Okay, I know that you guys love each other so much, so let's continue eating,” Baekhee shrugged and shoved bite-sizes of carrots inside her uncle’s gaping mouth.

 

Baekhyun snickered, biting the vegetable while glaring at his diva of a niece. “You got that sassiness from your mom,”

 

“No, I got it from you,” Baekhee smirked wickedly and jutted her oily lips toward her Pa, urging him to wipe them. She giggled when her Pa caressed her hair.

 

“Pa,” Baekhoo beamed, breaking the silent moment at the table.

 

“Yes little star,” Chanyeol smiled as he gently pushed Baekhoo’s long fringes from covering his adorable small face.

 

“There’s this little girl in my class that makes my heart goes shimkoong,” the little boy beamed up and placed his tiny palm on his chest.

 

“Oh really?” Chanyeol chuckled. “She must be so cute then,”

 

Bobbing his head up and down excitedly, Baekhoo clasped his tiny hands together. “I kissed her yesterday!” he grinned. “I told her that I like her and I want to marry her soon,” he stated, eyes gleaming with delight.

 

“She must be so shocked to be kissed by you,” Baekhyun mumbled. “You didn't make her cry right?”

 

“I already asked for her permission first before I kissed her, I’m a gentleman, please uncle, have some faith in me,” Baekhoo said, rolling his eyes at his uncle.    

 

“Wow, such a gentleman you are, little guy, I’m a proud uncle,” Baekhyun smiled and patted Baekhoo’s head fondly.

 

“You should be,” the little boy huffed. “Shimkoong...shimkoong,” he sing-sang happily and smiled when Chanyeol caressed his cheek with fondness written all across his face. He paused and looked up between his uncle’s face and his Pa’s.

 

“Pa, when you see Bae uncle’s face, your heart must feel shimkoong...shimkoong too huh?”

 

“Pa, Bae uncle still make your heart goes shimkoong...shimkoong right?” Baekhee added.

 

Baekhyun stopped eating and lifted his head to look up at Chanyeol’s face. He was curious to know the answer too. A long pause, an awkward silent moment dawned upon the both of them and Baekhyun could feel his heart clenching in pain. Chanyeol’s silence crushed his heart. His lips began to quiver uncontrollably, tears started to brim in the corner of his droopy eyes.

 

_‘What am I even expecting? Suck it up, Byun Baekhyun,’_

 

Letting out indistinguishable weird noises between whimpers and chuckles, Baekhyun bit his bottom lip and ducked down his head to look at his food. Now he had lost the appetite to eat even though he was starving half an hour ago. Swallowing the remaining food inside his mouth, he winced in pain. It felt like gulping down a small stone. It was tasteless and painfully stabbing his throat. But nothing could compare to the awful pain that he was currently feeling throbbing inside his heart, destroying his entire being.

  


“Yes, he still does,”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pouty-lips-plus-pleading-puppy-eyes-combo™ in full blast ; words by cheeky yeolmae Hani, the beta reader for this chapter/thank you !


	11. Just can't

 

 _‘Well played, Park Chanyeol,’_  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun gritted his teeth in anger with body trembling uncontrollably, scowling hard at Chanyeol until his eyebrows were knitted together, flames visible in his droopy eyes as if he could burn Chanyeol alive with his murderous stare alone. The CEO was enjoying this too much, wasn’t he? How could he say those words without any single expression marring his face? How could such statement being uttered with a face void of any feelings? He was clearly toying with Baekhyun’s fragile heart, sparing him no mercy. Baekhyun sniffled, fighting the urge from spilling the tears out of his eyes as he tore his gaze away. How great, Chanyeol had succeeded in making him lose his cool composure in front of the kids. He was taking his revenge rather victoriously.    
  
  
  
  
_‘By now, you should have gotten used to his sarcasm and harsh words, why are you crying Byun Baekhyun! You shouldn’t be expecting anything, to begin with!’_  
  
  
  
  
He screamed internally, getting so frustrated and infuriated with himself. He missed Chanyeol terribly; after the short trip ended he really wanted to meet him again. Well, scratch that, Baekhyun had been longing for Chanyeol for years!  
  
  
  
  
_‘This is too hard. It isn’t healthy for me, I don't know how much longer I can endure this..this kind of torture. It’s too painful,’_  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun’s train of thoughts halted when he felt a touch on his right arm, Baekhoo was deliberately rubbing his hand.    
  
  
  
  
“Bae uncle, why are you crying?” Baekhoo mumbled, looking up at his uncle thoughtfully.  
  
  
  
  
Shaking his head quickly, Baekhyun ruffled Baekhoo’s hair. “I’m not crying, it’s just that this fried rice is too spicy for me,” he smiled reassuringly and playfully stuck out his tongue as a cherry on top to complete his lie.    
  
  
  
  
Baekhoo nodded, satisfied with his uncle’s half-hearted reply and continued to eat his food. He let out a tiny burp and covered his mouth with his chubby palms. “Oops, sorry, I’m full,” The little boy announced, grinning sheepishly.  
  
  
  
  
“What time is it now, Bae uncle?” Baekhee asked, blinking innocently.  
  
  
  
  
“Hmm, almost two o'clock. Why?” Baekhyun answered and began tidying up his worktable. He refused to spare any glance in Chanyeol’s direction but the intensity of the cold stare directed toward him from his fiancé made his heart race. Chanyeol was doing so excellent in destroying his good mood. Baekhyun neither had the energy to fight back nor to endure this kind of game today. Maybe he was being a tad bit overconfident of himself. He guessed he was wrong after all, he was not strong enough to surpass through this torment.     
  
  
  
  
“Grandpa said we can come to his workroom at two o'clock! Let's hurry up, Baekhoo!” Baekhee beamed and jumped excitedly as she gathered all her toys and homework that they placed on the couch earlier and shoved all of them inside her pink backpack.  
  
  
  
  
“Yeay! Grandpa promised to teach us sewing basics after lunch,” Baekhoo smiled brilliantly, eyes twinkling with joy.    
  
  
  
  
“B-but...I’m -” Baekhyun stuttered, panicked at the thought of being left alone in the same room with Chanyeol. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Baekhyun closed his eyes to calm his rapid heartbeats. Chanyeol would also be leaving soon right? Why would he still stay there without the kids? Puffing his cheeks, Baekhyun helped the kids to put on their respective backpacks and proceeded to ignore Chanyeol’s existence in the same room. Holding the twins’ hands on each side, he ushered them out of his workroom. Chanyeol knew the way out so Baekhyun didn’t see the need to send him off, he would be fine being left alone in there.  
  


 

\---

  
  
  
“Come in! Go get your sewing toolboxes over there,” Mr. Byun greeted them happily and pointed at the corner of his room. He chuckled when the kids screamed ‘Thank you’s in unison as they ran to acquire their grandfather's gift sets.    
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun sat across his father with elbows on the desk and hands tucked under his chin. He completed his sitting posture with a pout on his lip, his lazy pose always made his father smile. He stayed in that position until his father also settled on his chair, on the opposite side of him. He was right, his father burst out laughing when their eyes locked.  
  
  
  
  
“Baek, you’re being lazy again,” Mr. Byun smiled and ruffled his son’s fluffy hair.  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun yawned and whined when his father pinched his cheek fondly. He had always loved the attention that he received from his parents.  
  
  
  
  
“Did you guys fight during your last trip?” Mr. Byun asked while watching the twin unpacking their gifts.  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed, dumbfounded by his father’s abrupt question but quickly shook his head. “Huh? No..why?”  
  
  
  
  
“Chanyeol got himself too busy with work. He didn't go home at all. He rarely sleeps and eats. Mr. Park said he has gotten skinnier recently,” Mr. Byun stated. “We thought it got something to do with you,”  
  
  
  
  
Pursing his lip, Baekhyun frowned. He didn't even get the chance to bid Chanyeol a proper goodbye. Chanyeol left so early the next morning when Baekhyun was still sleeping soundly. Yet he couldn't stay angry though, because there was breakfast in bed exclusively for him, courtesy of his ‘husband’.  
  
  
  
  
“Has he...has he called off the wedding?” Baekhyun asked, nervously chewing on his bottom lip with his shaky hands gripping tightly onto his knees. His inner turmoil made his heart thump frantically that it’s threatening to burst out of ribcage.  
  
  
  
  
Mr. Byun shifted his gaze from the twins to examine his son’s face. “No, he didn't say anything about calling off the wedding. Baek, do you want me to talk to him?”  
  
  
  
  
“No! We are doing fine. I can handle it,” Baekhyun faked a smile, internally praying that his father wouldn’t see through the lie.  
  
  
  
  
“I’m sure you will. At least you managed to make him leave his office,” Mr. Byun grinned and patted Baekhyun’s cheek.  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun intentionally spent his time inside his father’s workroom to play with the kids. But then Baekhee said he was procrastinating too much, so the twins pushed him out of his father’s office. Glancing at his wristwatch, he huffed. He was inside his father’s workroom for nearly half an hour, Chanyeol should already have returned back to work. Biting his bottom lip, he pushed the door open but gasped in surprise when he saw Chanyeol. The CEO had fallen asleep on the couch that the twins were occupying earlier.  
  
  
  
  
“What is he still doing here?” Baekhyun blinked as he apprehensively walked closer to sit beside Chanyeol. He missed admiring Chanyeol’s sleeping face. Chanyeol seemed very tired, weariness written all across his fatigued face. He was sleeping with mouth partly opened and there was stubble on his handsome face. After sending a text to his assistant that he didn't want to entertain any guest that afternoon, he locked his office door and sat down beside Chanyeol again. Clearing his throat, he gently poked Chanyeol’s cheek. Baekhyun sighed, the CEO didn't even flinch at the touch. Baekhyun figured that he must be absolutely exhausted that he could be fast asleep in record time.  
  
  
  
  
“I miss you,” Baekhyun mumbled with flaring red cheeks.  
  
  
  
  
“Why didn't you reply any of my messages?” he pouted, lifting up his fist toward Chanyeol’s face.  
  
  
  
  
“You are making me upset, I really want to punch your pretty face,” he huffed, scowling hard at the sleeping figure. He gasped in shock when Chanyeol’s palm was suddenly on the small of his back, pulling him closer. With Baekhyun’s flushed face pressed on Chanyeol’s sturdy chest, he attempted to squirm away.  
  
  
  
  
“Shh...get angry at me later, let me sleep for now,” Chanyeol murmured with closed eyes.  
  
  
  
  
“I...I...but,” Baekhyun couldn't stop rambling. He was spluttering nonsense. His mind went blank for a moment when Chanyeol wrapped his bulky arms around his waist, tugging him closer. Baekhyun eventually gave up. Crossing his hands over his chest, he let Chanyeol hug him to sleep.    
  
  
  
  
“I’m so tired, Button,” Chanyeol whispered and rested his chin on top of Baekhyun’s head. Holding Baekhyun securely in his arms, he snuggled to the couch, trying to attain a comfortable cuddling position for the both of them.    
  
  
  
  
“Fine,” Baekhyun blushed fervently. He didn't want to look up, but he knew Chanyeol had fallen into slumber again when the CEO stopped moving.  
  
  
  
  
“It’s too cold,” Chanyeol whined, nuzzling his nose on Baekhyun’s hair. “Hug me back,”  
  
  
  
  
Gritting his teeth, Baekhyun refused to conform to Chanyeol’s request. ‘What kind of game are you playing with me right now, Park Chanyeol? Aren’t you satisfied yet?’ he sighed.  
  
  
  
  
“Please?” Chanyeol murmured.  
  
  
  
  
Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun snaked an arm over Chanyeol’s taut stomach, nestling closer. His face was burning shade of scarlet as he shamelessly pressed it on Chanyeol’s chest.  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol’s body trembled inside his embrace. “You are shivering,” he frowned and grabbed his sweatshirt (which was originally Chanyeol’s) and draped it around his fiancé’s body. He shrieked when Chanyeol’s palm rested on his back again, pulling him back to his side. He wanted to keep sulking, or maybe punched Chanyeol’s smug face, but;  
  
  
  
  
Loey smelled so good, the faint scent of coffee was still lingering on his suit ;  
  
  
  
  
Loey’s body felt so warm pressed against his cheek ;  
  
  
  
  
Park Chanyeol, my dear Loey;  
  
  
  
  
_‘I miss you so much,’_  
  
  
  
  
Biting his quivering bottom lip, he tightened his grip on Chanyeol’s waist. The thought alone simply made his heart clench painfully. All kind of emotions began flooding his frail heart, making it swollen and he feared it would burst out from his chest soon. The word ‘sorry’ was threatening to escape from his lips easily but then Chanyeol would get angry at him again and might ignore him completely. After that, they would revert back to square one. No, Baekhyun totally didn’t want that. So, shutting his eyes close, Baekhyun tried to steady his rapid breathing while swallowing his saliva thickly; forcing the bitter feeling out from his mouth because Chanyeol was making his stomach churn in a bad way. Oh God, he was on the verge of crying again.  
  
  
  
  
_‘Why do I have to be so weak?’_  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun froze when Chanyeol kissed his forehead softly. He wasn't dreaming, Chanyeol’s cold lips still lingered, his warm breath tickling his skin, prickling Baekhyun to the core.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I miss you too, Button,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun has had enough of Chanyeol’s childish ways of making fun of his heart. He lifted his head to look into his fiancé tired, drowsy eyes before pushing him away and sighed in desolation.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Just stop it, Park Chanyeol. None of this is funny anymore,” he snapped, tears started gushing out of his eyes as if a dam had finally broken and he tried his best to wipe it with the back of his palm. He was about to get up from the couch when Chanyeol grabbed his wrist and yanked him back to sit by his side.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’m not joking, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol frowned as he tightened his grip on Baekhyun’s hands to prevent him from scampering away.  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun started to cry harder. Chanyeol was still holding onto his hands so he couldn't do anything to wipe his watery face.    
  
  
  
  
  
“Where did that stupid idea came from?” Chanyeol said as he concernedly wiped Baekhyun’s tears on his cheeks with his thumb. “I really do miss you,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“If you miss me, you should have answered my calls and messages,” Baekhyun scowled. He gasped when Chanyeol’s large palms suddenly cupped his face, hauling him closer.  
  
  
  
  
  
“You called me?” Chanyeol asked in confusion, eyebrows knitted as he stared into Baekhyun’s puffy, swollen red eyes.    
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun’s jaw clenched. “Yes, you idiot,” he grumbled, cheeks becoming red at the fact that he obviously looked so desperate waiting for Chanyeol’s reply this whole week.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I didn't receive anything from you though, Button. You said you wanted to call me back. But you didn't give me your phone number. I don't want to push you because you might still be angry at me for being a jerk during the trip,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“I said I would call you?” Baekhyun asked. He didn't remember talking to Chanyeol at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol sighed. “I have a very very urgent matter to attend that morning, that’s why I couldn't go home with you. You said you wanted to call me when I kiss-,"  
  
  
  
  
  
“Wait...wait...K-Kiss?” Baekhyun questioningly blinked, biting his bottom lip unconsciously. ‘Why couldn’t I remember being kissed by Chanyeol?’ he thought, blushing profusely when his eyes were met with Chanyeol’s brown ones. He desperately wanted to smack the tiny smirk that began to form at the curve of Chanyeol’s mouth.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Yes, I did kiss you but not on your lips, like what you’re imagining,” Chanyeol teased while wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun tugged his hands away. He whimpered when Chanyeol still refused to let him go. “Whatever, just let me go,” he groaned.    
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol brought Baekhyun’s hands to his chest, on top of his beating heart. “Kissing you on your pretty lips will only happen when you are wide awake for me, Button,” He smiled.  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun could feel Chanyeol’s heartbeats thundering rapidly beneath his palms. Both of their hearts were racing at the same pace. “The kids are not here so you can stop pretending. Just stop, Chanyeol,”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Can’t you feel my crazy heartbeats? Do you think I’m capable of faking it?” Chanyeol growled as he continued pressing Baekhyun’s hand onto his torso. “I’ve waited for your call days and nights after the trip. I lost my appetite, I barely slept. I felt terrible for treating you awfully. It made me feel guilty. I wanted to meet you so bad, but you said that you are going to call, so I have no other choices but wait,”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“I did call you, stupid giant!” Baekhyun yelped, pounding his hands on his fiancé’s hard chest. “Let my hands go so I can show it to you!”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Only one hand,” Chanyeol smirked and only let Baekhyun’s right hand go.  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun couldn't look at Chanyeol in the eyes, he knew that his face had gotten red instantly when Chanyeol began to hold his hand. Chanyeol definitely enjoyed making him flustered like this. Struggling to fish out his phone from inside his pants pocket, he opened all the text messages that he was totally sure he had sent to Chanyeol. “This is so embarrassing,” he flushed, shoving his phone to Chanyeol’s face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“You’ve sent it to a wrong number,” Chanyeol snorted after several seconds.  
  
  
  
  
  
“H-huh? Wrong number?” Baekhyun stuttered, staring back at his phone in disbelief. “But why haven’t you called me at all huh? Why? Do you really hate me that much?” he barked, venting out all of his frustrations at Chanyeol.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_‘I’m so stupid, I can’t even save his number properly,’_  
  
  
  
  
  
“I can never hate you,” Chanyeol murmured. “Believe me, Byun Baekhyun, I’ve tried...so many times, but all of my efforts were vain,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun’s lips quivered. He inhaled and exhaled shakily. Chanyeol’s honest confession brought a pang to his heart. For years, he gave Chanyeol a hard time. Since they met, this was the first time Chanyeol voiced out his true feelings. He cried again when Chanyeol squeezed his hand. Chanyeol’s huge, glassy red eyes that were staring affectionately at him crushed his heart. Baekhyun didn't deserve to be loved by someone so precious like him.  
  
  
  
  
  
“When you leave me...I tried so hard to forget you, I thought I’m going insane. I wanted to stay mad at you, yet I hate myself because I still can’t, no matter how,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“I can’t, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol sniffled softly as he tried not to look at Baekhyun's face.  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun quickly held Chanyeol’s hand to stop him from pulling away. His fiancé’s face was beet red. Baekhyun began to panic when he saw tears trickling down Chanyeol’s cheeks.  


 


	12. healing us

 

A crying Chanyeol made him alarmed. Baekhyun clumsily tried to scoot closer as he cradled Chanyeol’s red face with his palms. He smiled when their eyes met.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Meanie Byun Baekhyun doesn't deserve an angel like you. Don’t cry because of me, I’m truly not worthy of any of your tears. Please don’t cry,” he cooed, pulling Chanyeol’s face closer. Puffing his cheeks, Baekhyun sighed. Chanyeol’s lack of response was killing him.     
  
  
  
  
  
“Hey, look at me, please. We really need to talk about us,” he started, gently caressing Chanyeol's soaking cheeks with his thumbs. He smiled when he got the attention that he requested from his fiancé. The person that was crying in front of him right now was Loey, his kind-hearted boyfriend that would cry over simple, mere things. Loey was so easy to be pleased, and too easy to get hurt too.  
  
  
  
  
  
“What about us?” Chanyeol asked, eyes still red and watery, pouting.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I sincerely wanted to marry you, Park Chanyeol. I swear to God that I really wanted to be yours forever,” Baekhyun sniffled. “I’m sorry -”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Byun Baekhyun,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Listen...just listen to me first, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun pleaded. “I’m sorry because of my selfishness to fulfil my dreams, I had neglected your feelings. Now, I even forced you to marry me. I didn't give you any choice. I left you, I hurt you and now I want you back,” he murmured timidly.  
  
  
  
  
  
“How can you not hate me?” he chuckled weakly. “I hate myself too,” he muttered, shoulders slumping, droopy eyes were no longer looking at Chanyeol.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Button,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“I will ask my parents to cancel our wedding,” Baekhyun huffed resolutely, lips quivering. “I want you to know that loving you was the best thing that has ever happened in my life,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Cancel the wedding? You are doing it again now,” Chanyeol scowled. “You are making decisions without considering my feelings,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“What should I do, Park Chanyeol? I don't want you to marry me because of our parents!” He yelped in devastation, fisting his hands on the front of Chanyeol’s suit. He cried in pain when Chanyeol flicked his forehead.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Button, you are talking too much,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun sniffled, glaring at Chanyeol while rubbing his aching forehead with his palm. “I’m getting emotional here, stop making fun of my sad moment,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“You listen to me,” Chanyeol grumbled. “I’m a whipped man,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Huh?” Baekhyun’s eyebrows knitted, face turning ablaze when Chanyeol sandwiched his face in between his palms, bringing their faces closer.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’m so whipped and so...so very much in love with you that after everything that you did to me, I still love you,” Chanyeol beamed. “I swear to God that I really wanted to marry you too,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Will you m-marry me?” Baekhyun stammered, tears started gushing out from his already swollen eyes. Sniffling, he wiped his watery eyes with the back of his palm and gripped the ring that was dangling off his chest from over his shirt. Chanyeol’s fingers that were gently stroking on his cheeks made his heart flutter.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Maybe? If you ask me again, nicely this time,” Chanyeol snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, pretending to frown at Baekhyun.  
  
  
  
  
  
Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Baekhyun sniffled as he tried to assemble his sentences and summon his courage. “Will you marry me, Park Chanyeol?” He asked again, making sure the words flowed out smoothly from his mouth. His droopy eyes never leaving Chanyeol’s big, sparkling ones. With a trembling hand, he pulled the necklace off from his neck, clutching onto it tightly with his palm before gazing up at Chanyeol’s face again. His breath hitched when Chanyeol did the same. Now both of them were staring each other’s faces while holding their engagement rings. Baekhyun’s heart started to race when he did not get any response from Chanyeol. He forgot to breathe when Chanyeol’s lips was suddenly on his mouth, pecking him lightly before pulling away. Baekhyun’s face was burning the color of strawberry when their eyes met.  
  
  
  
  
  
He gasped, trying to say something back but he couldn't utter any single words, not when Chanyeol kept kissing him full on his parted lips, again and again. Whimpering softly, Chanyeol’s soft kisses melted him in an instant. The light pecks on his lips from Chanyeol, brought warmth to his entire body, making him hum in pleasure. Kissing Chanyeol after so many years of longing for him, was indeed satisfying. Chanyeol’s calloused hands were cradling his face, with his thumbs stroking his cheeks so cautiously as if Baekhyun was made out of glass, made him burst into tears again. Only Loey would kiss him like this.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’ll marry you, Button,” Chanyeol mumbled in between their warm mingling breaths, smiling wide with his infamous face-splitting grin. “Shh, stop crying. The answer is yes, silly,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun leaped forward to pull Chanyeol into his arms, nuzzling his nose on the side of the man’s neck. Chanyeol’s body fragrance was so strong on that particular spot. He remembered it well and he was glad that even after so many years, Loey’s body still smelled the same. “Thank you for saying yes,” he said bashfully, burrowing his face on Chanyeol’s shoulder.  
  
  
  
  
  
They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, both lost in their own deep thoughts. Baekhyun rested his chin on Chanyeol’s shoulder, arms spread across his fiancé’s stomach, pulling him closer. He enjoyed snuggling like this and Chanyeol’s body warmth was his ultimate favorite, making him hum in delight. Heat crept all over his face when their eyes met again.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I miss you, Loey,” he mumbled, nuzzling his nose on the side of Chanyeol’s neck.  He couldn't take his eyes off their engagement rings that were now gracing each other’s ring fingers.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chuckling, Chanyeol patted Baekhyun’s arm and tilted head to his right side to kiss his fiancé’s forehead lovingly. “I miss you too,” he said, smiling wide.      
  
  


  
\---

  
  
  
  
“Pumpkin,”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Kris,” Baekhyun smiled, clutching onto his phone tightly. Hearing Kris’s voice always made him happy. A fateful coincidence that happened between them put them both into an awkward situation, but he didn't want to lose Kris as his good friend. Kris was his best friend that would always be there for him when he was struggling back in New York. He felt awful for Kris but he also didn't want to let Chanyeol go. He knew that Chanyeol already chose him, he gave him reassurance by wearing their engagement ring and he promised that they were getting married soon.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I want to see you,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun grinned. Maybe he was thinking too hard on this matter, maybe Kris had already moved on from loving Chanyeol. “Sure,”  
  
  
  


  
\---

  
  
  
  
The elevator’s doors slid open on the 10th floor. Puffing his cheeks, he walked toward Kris’s studio in sheer trepidation. _‘Something bad is going to happen,’_ he thought, shaking his head lightly to make the uneasy feeling disappear. Kris was not going to hurt him, he would never do that. They were only going to meet up and things would all go back to normal. He missed hearing Kris calling him pumpkin. Strolling through the hallway of the 10th floor, Baekhyun sighed again for umpteenth time. His heart was throbbing maniacally as he approached the open door of Kris’s studio. The place was still under renovation, woods and papers were scattered messily on the floor. It was quite late in the evening, the renovation workers were nowhere to be seen. Kris was alone. He flinched when he heard a very familiar voice instead, but not Kris’s, echoing throughout the empty studio.  
  
  
  
  
  
_‘Kris was not alone?’_ he squinted, tiptoeing closer. _‘He was expecting another guest?'_ Baekhyun frowned, glancing at the wristwatch on his left hand. He was punctual though, right on time. Opting not to interrupt Kris and his companion's conversation, Baekhyun stood silently near the entrance. The curious side of him wanted to figure out who was the owner of the voice because it clearly sounded a little too familiar for him.  
  
  
  
  
  
_‘Isn’t it Chanyeol’s voice?’_ Chewing on his bottom lip, he chanced a peek at Kris’s direction. The other man was back facing him, hence Baekhyun couldn't see his face. Nonetheless, his deep voice, his long coat, the black hair, and his tall figure uncannily matched well with Park Chanyeol. Baekhyun’s breath hitched in terror when he saw the identical engagement ring shining on the man’s ring finger with the one encasing his slender one.  
  
  
  
  
  
“It’s indeed Chanyeol,” he gasped, covering his mouth fearfully with his palm. Chanyeol was talking and he seemed anxious as he kept pushing his hair back. Now, Baekhyun desperately wanted to know about the topic of their conversation, so he inched closer, moving stealthily to avoid from getting caught eavesdropping.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’ll make him fall in love with me all over again and then I’m going to break his heart,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun could feel his face scorching when the impact of that single sentence hit right through him. He was beyond shocked. His hands trembled, legs weakened as he tried to lean his back against the wall beside him. Tears started to brim in the corner of his eyes, blurring his view that he couldn’t see properly. He wanted to listen further about Chanyeol’s heart-wrenching confession but staying any longer would mean allowing his heart to crumple in unbearable twinge, it felt awfully like being torn apart. The truth was so painful, too much for his already fragile heart to bear. He wanted to scream in anger. He was furious at himself for easily believing that everything would be fine again like they used to. Reconciling with Chanyeol was definitely too good to be true. He had to cover his mouth with his cold palms, choking back a sob.  
  
  


\---

  
  
  
Baekhyun, we need to talk – Kris.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Not now, let me breathe first,” Baekhyun mumbled tiredly, switching off his phone and shoving it back into his pocket. Kris had been calling him nonstop since he left the studio without even announcing his presence. They never met that night, he just ran away. Call him stupid or childish, but he was totally not going to confront Chanyeol at that moment. He needed time to calm down, to ponder deeply and properly before he made any decision that he might regret in the future, he’s not going to make the same mistake twice.  
  
  
  
  
  
When Mrs. Park informed him that they never sold their old house, Baekhyun asked for her permission to visit the place again. Visiting Chanyeol’s old house never failed to cheer him up, it was a healing experience for him. The interior of the house had changed completely and it was still under renovation. The house radiated happiness and joy, full of their sweet memories together. He stepped toward the staircase, heading to the rooftop. He was glad that the renovation did not include the rooftop, the best spot out of the entire Park residence.  
  
  
  
  
  
The stars were shining magnificently that night, adorning the dark blue sky. It was freezing but he could handle the chilliness. Chanyeol’s red padded jacket was doing a fantastic job in protecting him from the cold night air. Chanyeol’s bad habit of leaving his things everywhere he went, helped Baekhyun this time. Baekhyun had gotten used to picking up Chanyeol’s misplaced belonging and handing it back to its owner. The jacket was previously found lying on the couch in the living room. Mama Park also mentioned that Chanyeol always visited their old house whenever he had time to spare.  
  
  
  
  
  
He sat on the large wooden bench placed right at the center of the rooftop, palms stroking the bench’s surface. Smiling, he laid down flat, arms folded neatly, pillowing the back of his head. “The stars are so beautiful tonight,” he yawned, blinking slowly as he stared at the glorious night sky. He flinched slightly when the bench squeaked. Signaling that someone had sat down beside him. He didn't have to look to find out who it was.  
  
  
  
  
  
_‘Chanyeol,’_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Button, can I lay down beside you?” Chanyeol asked softly.  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun nodded as he scooted a little to the side to make some space for Chanyeol. He was not mad anymore, all the anger from their previous encounter had vanished. Chanyeol’s old house really did wonders to his broken heart. He was blushing like mad when Chanyeol snaked one strong arm under his head, drawing their bodies closer. His other arm was splayed over Baekhyun’s stomach. Sniffling, Baekhyun nuzzled his nose on Chanyeol’s jacket, burrowing his face further into his fiancé’s chest.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol affectionately kissed the top of Baekhyun’s head. “You were there at the studio just now right?”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Pressing his lips together, Baekhyun nodded meekly again, refusing to talk. He was positive that he would start bawling terribly if he dared open his mouth to speak.  
  
  
  
  
  
“What did you hear? Tell me everything,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Chewing on his quivering bottom lip, Baekhyun huffed. “I’ll make him fall in love with me all over again and then I’m going to break his heart,” he spoke carefully, making sure all the heart-shattering words were said clearly. He shrieked when Chanyeol pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly.  
  
  
  
  
  
“After hearing all that, you are still here waiting for me?” Chanyeol smiled, nuzzling his nose on the side of Baekhyun’s face.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’m not leaving you ever again,” Baekhyun mumbled. “I’m done being mean Byun Baekhyun. Mean Byun Baekhyun is dead,” he scoffed and pressed his lips on Chanyeol’s chin.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I trusted you, and Kris is my best friend. Both of you have big hearts. I’ve known both of you for years. There must be some explanation to it. For you to say such things...that's absurd,” he added.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol cupped Baekhyun’s face with his palms and looked into his eyes, staring straight into his soul. “After so many years, I finally find out the reason why you left me,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun’s eyes widened, hand fisting on the front of Chanyeol’s jacket. “Y-you know?”  
  
  
  
  
  
“My father was so happy drinking with me earlier tonight. He was so drunk that he unintentionally started blurting out about what he did to you...to us,” Chanyeol sighed.  
  
  
  
  
    
  
“Please don't be mad at your father. He just wanted the best for you,” Baekhyun pleaded, gaze locked with Chanyeol’s. He didn't want to ruin Chanyeol’s good relationship with his family. They love him so much. He flinched when Chanyeol’s large thumbs gently wiped the tears that were running down his cheek. He didn't realize he was crying. Holding Chanyeol’s hand, he closed his eyes when Chanyeol pressed a quick kiss on his lips.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Kris wanted to see me. I truly needed the company of a good friend tonight. We were just talking, like old times,” said Chanyeol.  
  
  
  
  
  
“But Kris purposely calling us both at the same time? What is his real intention?” Baekhyun frowned.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol chuckled, running his thumb slowly on Baekhyun’s jutted bottom lip. “Kris was feeling really bad right now. He just wanted you to hear my love confession. But instead of listening to the rest of my rant, you ran away,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun puffed his cheeks, blushing when Chanyeol rubbed their noses together. “I’m not running away. I just wanted to calm myself down before I can meet you again,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Huffing, Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol's jacket collar, scowling hard. “Now finish your full sentences. Let me hear it again,” he pouted with cheeks tainted in dusty pink.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol sighed, eyes gazing at Baekhyun adoringly. “I’m not angry anymore. I’ve had enough. All these years of holding grudges, getting angry and frustrated towards you were only tiring me down. I’m exhausted, Byun Baekhyun. The more I hurt you, the more I feel suffocated. I feel trapped and I suffered too. It was so painful to see you cry because of me,” he sniffled, chuckling when Baekhyun wiped his watery eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Yes, I planned to hurt you, to broke your heart, but I just couldn’t,” he added. “I realized that loving you is way easier than hating you,”  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol kissed Baekhyun’s mouth lovingly. Pecking him lightly, one, two, three times before he pulled away and smiled.

  
  
  
“Forget the past, I just want to be happy loving you now,”  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end!  
> I love writing sugary fluff, I'm bad at angst, I don't even read angst. But I want to write one, so I try my best to finish this story, sorry if I'm not good enough^^  
> Thank you for the sweet comments and kudos, I really...really appreciated it :)


End file.
